***** (five of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Anna Watson?! What have you done?" -- Aunt May to Anna Watson, who, like we here at Untimely Comics, is Team MJ
Summary
After busting up the Bar with No Name, Spidey tries to reveal his secret identity to Daredevil, who he tells him not to do so, given how special getting to put that genie back in the bottle is. Pete almost misses Aunt May and JJJ, Sr.'s rehearsal dinner due to delivering the photos of the Bar with No Name fight to "Front Line." Meanwhile, it is revealed that Dr. Octopus is dying from the damage his body has suffered over the years and has decided to take over New York for the benefit of its citizens. In scanning data, he sees Aunt May's wedding announcement and Spidey's pictures in "Front Line." Back in wedding world, all the wedding plans fall apart, and JJJ, Sr. publicly accuses JJJ, Jr. of being behind it. JJJ, Sr. is then kidnapped by Doc Ock's mini-octopi drones. In the middle of asking Carlie to Aunt May's wedding, Peter is interrupted by a call from Aunt May, expressing worry over the absence of JJJ, Sr. Carlie agrees to meet Peter at JJJ, Sr.'s place, but Peter is waylaid by New York City attacking him, apparently at the sub-conscious direction of Doc Ock. (Meanwhile, Carlie runs into Norah at JJJ, Sr.'s apartment; they go looking for him, but the mini-octopi capture them.) The New Avengers and Fantastic Four decide to battle New York City, while Spidey and the Human Torch take down Doc Ock. With all right in the world, May and JJJ, Sr. get married, and, arriving just in time, Mary Jane catches the bouquet.
The Review
I really enjoyed this issue. To be honest, it doesn't probably deserve the five I'm giving it, particularly since the more I think about the issue, the more I see its flaws. It might not be textbook perfect, but it really has heart, more so than most issues. The back-up stories were great, particularly "My Brother's Son," which, like the wedding, made me get a little misty. Also, the art in "If I was Spider-Man..." was really eye-popping; well done, Mario Alberti! The rest of the review will focus on the main story, but I wanted to give shout-outs to those two back-up stories.
The Really Good
1) OK, I'm man enough to admit it: I cried a little when Aunt May called Peter "son" and he called her "mom." I don't recall Peter ever calling her mom, and it was a really lovely and powerful moment. I feel like it was actually so well done that, in some way, I finally got why Peter was willing to sacrifice his marriage to Mary Jane to save Aunt May. In "One More Day" itself, so much of the focus was on Peter's guilt and Mephisto's bargain that we didn't really spend much time considering the May/Peter relationship. This issue actually somewhat accomplishes that, reminding us how important to Peter Aunt May is.
2) I enjoyed the Spidey/Torch banter. The last time we saw the Torch, a lot of their banter was angry, because they were fighting over the fact that Peter hadn't revealed himself as Spidey to the FF. But, here, we get to see the old Spidey/Torch magic. I liked how Johnny told Carlie about being part of "the gang" (Flash, Gwen, Harry, and MJ), because it's another example of the Web Heads integrating old-school Spidey stories into the "Brand New Day" world. It involved folding a lot of space and time, but increasingly the "Brand New Day" world feel like a more logical continuation of those old stories than what we had before "Brand New Day."
3) MJ! 'Nuff said.
The Good
1) Thank God we're done with this "Michele Gonzalez, Angry Roommate" schtick. I thought her appearance here was really well done and I actually found myself hoping we see more of her. However, it would've been nice to see how they went from her leaving notes telling him not to eat her food to sitting in the bathroom while Pete gets ready in nothing other than a Mark Sanchez jersey. (Of course she's wearing a Sanchez jersey.) I'm gay, I've had female roommates before, and even we didn't exactly lounge around the apartment together in states of undress. But, I can live with it so long as we don't have to deal with the "shrill female roommate" angle they were pushing for a while.
2) OK, so, Norah is apparently still with Randy and Harry apparently isn't with Carlie. I'm glad we kind of sorted out that situation, because, as I mentioned in the "American Son" review, it was bothering me. Plus, I love the fact that Carlie asked out Torch. HA! Good for you, Carlie. (Of course, I'd like to mention that Pete did ask out Carlie during the "Mind on Fire" arc and, for reasons still mysterious to me, she got all angry and indignant. But, I guess we're more or less pretending that didn't happen, which is fine by me.) Also, I'm glad we finally see all the supporting players in the same room: Carlie, Norah, etc. I was starting to wonder if Peter was moving back and forth between parallel universes.
3) JR JR's art is awesome. Sometimes you can tell he's rushed, but he clearly took him time here. (Spidey in the FF sweatshirt was great.)
The Bad
OK, the plot was a little convoluted. So, Doc Ock was subconsciously sabotaging May's wedding and trying to off Spidey? Really? First, the reveal was WAY too exposition-y, with Spidey telling us that, rather than us getting a chance to realize it for ourselves. (I actually had to look back to see if we had ruled out JJJ, Jr. as the culprit behind the wedding mishaps, because I initially hadn't really made the connection, which is when I found Spidey's "let me tell you what's happening" comment.) Second, it still seems kind of odd. I didn't really buy Doc Ock's deathbed conversion to good guy, and I guess Slott was also casting doubt on it by making Doc Ock act subconsciously badly. But, Slott doesn't really treat Otto all that humanely here; he kind of glides over the tragedy of Otto dying because of the years of abuse his body has taken. It's a shame, because addressing the issue more directly would've made the plot more believable, whether it was his (failed) attempts to do good or an alternative plot where he actually purposefully tries to disrupt May's wedding and kill Spider-Man. Finally, the "stronger brainwave pattern" mumbo-jumbo was kind of weird. I mean, do smarter people actually have "stronger" brainwave patterns? That seemed kind of pseudo-sciencey to me. I mean, I'm not a neurologist, so what do I know? But, given that the plot was resolved based on it, it's kind of an important piece of the puzzle, and not one you should wind up questioning as the issue comes to a close. Normally this sort of lazy plotting would probably bump down the story to a four, but, as I said above, everything else was so great that I'm letting it go.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
New Comics: The "Fear Itself" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers #17: OK, this issue is a hot mess. I honestly don't know where to start. The good? I guess the best part of this issue is that I can almost see the bright light at the end of the dark "Fear Itself" tunnel. The bad? Tough to say.
Bendis seems to totally abandon any attempt to put this particular story into the context of the larger events we're seeing happen in the main "Fear Itself" title as well as the secondary series. Let's break it down a bit:
Just like in "Avengers" #16 (see that review for more details), we see the Avengers in this issue dealing with an event (the fall of Avengers Tower) months after it initially happened ("Avengers" #14). The Tower presumably fell after "Fear Itself" #3, since it's in that issue where the Thing becomes a member of the Worthy, and he's the one who takes down the Tower. Although it makes sense that Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, the Protector, and Spider-Woman would be behind everyone else in seeing the destruction of the Tower (since they were in Brazil fighting the Hulk in "Fear Itself" #3 and "Avengers" #15), this issue still would have had to happened before "Fear Itself" #4, since they are seen having already reconnected with the Avengers and New Avengers in New York in that issue. So, it seems, for the events of "Fear Itself" #4 to make sense, that "Avengers" #14-#17 all happened between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4. The Tower falls ("Avengers" #14), half the Avengers fight the Hulk ("Fear Itself" #3 and "Avengers" #15), Cap tries to take out Sin ("Avengers" #16), everyone regroups in New York ("Avengers" #17 and "Fear Itself" #4), and the Avengers battle the Serpent and Sin in New York ("Fear Itself" #5). Makes sense.
The problem is that it clearly doesn't. As mentioned above, Sin and the Serpent fought Captain America and the Avengers (including the Brazil crew mentioned here) in New York in "Fear Itself" #5 and then left the city to make their way to Asgard in Broxton, Oklahoma. In fact, Sin is standing next to the Serpent at the end of "Fear Itself" #6 when he arrives in Broxton. However, in this issue, Sin randomly appears to make her way to Heimdall's Observatory (formerly located in the Tower) to enter Asgard. So, how does that work? Is Bendis implying that she entered the Observatory to enter Asgard somewhere between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4, when this issue would in theory take place, only to reappear in "Fear Itself" #5 to fight Cap and the Avengers, with no mention made of her time in Asgard? That seems to be the only explanation to make sense.
However, I think it's actually Bendis showing the Serpent call all his Worthy to him as he approaches Broxton. (He does the same with the Juggernaut in "Uncanny X-Men" #543.) However, that would be placing this issue after "Fear Itself" #6. Plus, Sin is with the Serpent at the end of that issue. So, what happens? Sin leaves the Serpent, travels to New York, and enters Asgard through the Observatory? That could make sense (depending on the events of "Fear Itself" #7)...except for the fact that we've firmly established that this issue happens between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4. It wouldn't make sense for this issue to happen after "Fear Itself" #6, because it would mean the Brazil crew were both in New York to witness the devastation in this issue AND in Oklahoma with Cap in "Fear Itself" #6. (Maybe they all suddenly developed Wolverine's ability to be in two places at once.) In other words, it can't happen both between issues #3 and #4 AND between #6 and #7. So, either it happens between issues #3 and #4 and Sin's entry through the Observatory into Asgard is an error, or it happens between issues #6 and #7 and Bendis' depiction of Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Protector, and Spider-Woman just arriving in New York is an error. But, it's definitely one or the other.
I know it seems nit-picky, but, as I said in my review of "Avengers" #16, I find this lack of attention to detail distracting because it complicates the motivations of characters. For example, in this issue, everyone is mad about the Tower falling, whereas, in the main title, they already moved past that event months ago and are focused on new threats. It would've been nice to see this anger before "Fear Itself" #4, so that you can understand their mindset in that issue and "Fear Itself" #5. I think it's part of what has made "Fear Itself" feel so hollow, since the emotional aspects of the events have been sub-contracted to the tie-in series, which don't address them until months after they happen. These sequencing questions really make me wonder if Marvel put an overall editor in charge of "Fear Itself." My guess is no. It seems pretty clear that the authors of the tie-ins just got short snippets about the larger plot of the main title and had to more or less insert their individual stories into where they thought they'd fit into the larger arc. The problem is that you can't have a book like "Avengers" be SO poorly synced to the main title. They're THE AVENGERS. They play a pretty significant role in this series. If I, a fan, can tell the sequencing of their appearances are so poorly synced with the rest of the series, how can some editor not tell?
Moreover, if I'm getting really nit-picky, in true pet peeve #1 fashion, despite what the cover depicts, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman do not/not get busy while New York burns in this issue. Also, someone needs to tell Bendis and JR JR that Spidey lost his Spider-Sense, which seems to have magically re-appeared here.
I've said it before and I'll, unfortunately, say it again: this event needs to END.
Fear Itself: The Home Front #6: This issue is, perhaps, the worst issue of any comic book I've ever read. I'm tired of trying to give it credit for the Speedball story. Gage is actually just telling the same story he initially told. It's like I'm in "Groundhog's Day." All four stories in this issue suck, one worst than the other. I mean that literally, too. Each story just gets worse than the other. I STILL can't believe I'm buying this series.
Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #5: I've liked this series for most of its run, but this issue is pretty grim. It's hard to be overly sympathetic to any of the characters, even though I think McKeever is, unlike all the other authors, accurately showing what it would look like when a bunch of completely exhausted superheroes are finally pushed over the edge and begin tearing each other apart. I'm hoping someone gets a redeeming moment in the final issue, and I'm intrigued what's going to happen with these characters after the series wraps up its run.
New Mutants #31: We begin this issue with Dani trapped inside one of the undead gods, something that apparently happened last issue but I don't exactly remember. At any rate, the undead god in which she finds herself engages in battle with the New Mutants, and her new crow friend helps her realize that her teammates are right...um...outside, as it were. Dani claws her way out the undead god's mouth, though I'm not exactly sure how she managed that, since she was having trouble figuring out an escape plan before she was inspired by the arrival of her teammates. At any rate, the issue was pretty fun, particularly with its somewhat shocking ending, Hela hanging on a pike. I also found the undead god's memories of Odin's confrontation with the Serpent interesting, particularly because I haven't seen anything about their confrontation before. (I'm assuming the Thor series are covering that.) The New Muties defending Hela's castle against the undead gods should be a pretty good story next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #543: It's hard to read this issue and not think that this story is exactly the type of story we all expected to read when we heard of "Fear Itself." I mean, everything falls apart here, because the "good guys" are forced into morally compromised positions to fend off the "bad guys." I loved Kitty's speech to Colossus, about how he's always ready to die for her but she needs someone who's ready to live for her. OMG, yes. I've been waiting for her to get there for YEARS. Although I was initially optimistic after the Breakworld arc that we would finally get a happy Kitty and Peter, I'm perfectly happy not to get one if it means that Kitty finally puts down her foot when it comes to Peter always sacrificing himself. Kitty and Peter being happy presumed that he'd stop throwing himself in front of the bus. If he can't do that, it's time for them to end, and I really applaud Gillen for being, like, the only X-book author ever to draw that conclusion. Moreover, I like the Scott we get here, by which I mean I don't like Scott here, but I like Gillen's portrayal of him. First, Land does an amazing job of showing Scott's confusion when he sees Colossus. It's one of the few moments where I've ever seen the modern Scott Summers actually show a moment of conflict, a moment of wondering whether he made the right choice. Second, his conversation with Sadie is disturbing. Given that this issue happens along the backdrop of "X-Men: Schism," it fits with the scary Scott we've seen lately. Gillen uses both these instances to show a Scott who isn't quite the person he thinks (or hopes) he is. Looking at this arc, I can say, with certainty, that Gillen is the only author who really took "Fear Itself" and made it his own, using its premise to further his characters while at the same time telling a story that made sense in context of the event. Well done, Kieron. Well done.
Bendis seems to totally abandon any attempt to put this particular story into the context of the larger events we're seeing happen in the main "Fear Itself" title as well as the secondary series. Let's break it down a bit:
Just like in "Avengers" #16 (see that review for more details), we see the Avengers in this issue dealing with an event (the fall of Avengers Tower) months after it initially happened ("Avengers" #14). The Tower presumably fell after "Fear Itself" #3, since it's in that issue where the Thing becomes a member of the Worthy, and he's the one who takes down the Tower. Although it makes sense that Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, the Protector, and Spider-Woman would be behind everyone else in seeing the destruction of the Tower (since they were in Brazil fighting the Hulk in "Fear Itself" #3 and "Avengers" #15), this issue still would have had to happened before "Fear Itself" #4, since they are seen having already reconnected with the Avengers and New Avengers in New York in that issue. So, it seems, for the events of "Fear Itself" #4 to make sense, that "Avengers" #14-#17 all happened between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4. The Tower falls ("Avengers" #14), half the Avengers fight the Hulk ("Fear Itself" #3 and "Avengers" #15), Cap tries to take out Sin ("Avengers" #16), everyone regroups in New York ("Avengers" #17 and "Fear Itself" #4), and the Avengers battle the Serpent and Sin in New York ("Fear Itself" #5). Makes sense.
The problem is that it clearly doesn't. As mentioned above, Sin and the Serpent fought Captain America and the Avengers (including the Brazil crew mentioned here) in New York in "Fear Itself" #5 and then left the city to make their way to Asgard in Broxton, Oklahoma. In fact, Sin is standing next to the Serpent at the end of "Fear Itself" #6 when he arrives in Broxton. However, in this issue, Sin randomly appears to make her way to Heimdall's Observatory (formerly located in the Tower) to enter Asgard. So, how does that work? Is Bendis implying that she entered the Observatory to enter Asgard somewhere between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4, when this issue would in theory take place, only to reappear in "Fear Itself" #5 to fight Cap and the Avengers, with no mention made of her time in Asgard? That seems to be the only explanation to make sense.
However, I think it's actually Bendis showing the Serpent call all his Worthy to him as he approaches Broxton. (He does the same with the Juggernaut in "Uncanny X-Men" #543.) However, that would be placing this issue after "Fear Itself" #6. Plus, Sin is with the Serpent at the end of that issue. So, what happens? Sin leaves the Serpent, travels to New York, and enters Asgard through the Observatory? That could make sense (depending on the events of "Fear Itself" #7)...except for the fact that we've firmly established that this issue happens between "Fear Itself" #3 and #4. It wouldn't make sense for this issue to happen after "Fear Itself" #6, because it would mean the Brazil crew were both in New York to witness the devastation in this issue AND in Oklahoma with Cap in "Fear Itself" #6. (Maybe they all suddenly developed Wolverine's ability to be in two places at once.) In other words, it can't happen both between issues #3 and #4 AND between #6 and #7. So, either it happens between issues #3 and #4 and Sin's entry through the Observatory into Asgard is an error, or it happens between issues #6 and #7 and Bendis' depiction of Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Protector, and Spider-Woman just arriving in New York is an error. But, it's definitely one or the other.
I know it seems nit-picky, but, as I said in my review of "Avengers" #16, I find this lack of attention to detail distracting because it complicates the motivations of characters. For example, in this issue, everyone is mad about the Tower falling, whereas, in the main title, they already moved past that event months ago and are focused on new threats. It would've been nice to see this anger before "Fear Itself" #4, so that you can understand their mindset in that issue and "Fear Itself" #5. I think it's part of what has made "Fear Itself" feel so hollow, since the emotional aspects of the events have been sub-contracted to the tie-in series, which don't address them until months after they happen. These sequencing questions really make me wonder if Marvel put an overall editor in charge of "Fear Itself." My guess is no. It seems pretty clear that the authors of the tie-ins just got short snippets about the larger plot of the main title and had to more or less insert their individual stories into where they thought they'd fit into the larger arc. The problem is that you can't have a book like "Avengers" be SO poorly synced to the main title. They're THE AVENGERS. They play a pretty significant role in this series. If I, a fan, can tell the sequencing of their appearances are so poorly synced with the rest of the series, how can some editor not tell?
Moreover, if I'm getting really nit-picky, in true pet peeve #1 fashion, despite what the cover depicts, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman do not/not get busy while New York burns in this issue. Also, someone needs to tell Bendis and JR JR that Spidey lost his Spider-Sense, which seems to have magically re-appeared here.
I've said it before and I'll, unfortunately, say it again: this event needs to END.
Fear Itself: The Home Front #6: This issue is, perhaps, the worst issue of any comic book I've ever read. I'm tired of trying to give it credit for the Speedball story. Gage is actually just telling the same story he initially told. It's like I'm in "Groundhog's Day." All four stories in this issue suck, one worst than the other. I mean that literally, too. Each story just gets worse than the other. I STILL can't believe I'm buying this series.
Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #5: I've liked this series for most of its run, but this issue is pretty grim. It's hard to be overly sympathetic to any of the characters, even though I think McKeever is, unlike all the other authors, accurately showing what it would look like when a bunch of completely exhausted superheroes are finally pushed over the edge and begin tearing each other apart. I'm hoping someone gets a redeeming moment in the final issue, and I'm intrigued what's going to happen with these characters after the series wraps up its run.
New Mutants #31: We begin this issue with Dani trapped inside one of the undead gods, something that apparently happened last issue but I don't exactly remember. At any rate, the undead god in which she finds herself engages in battle with the New Mutants, and her new crow friend helps her realize that her teammates are right...um...outside, as it were. Dani claws her way out the undead god's mouth, though I'm not exactly sure how she managed that, since she was having trouble figuring out an escape plan before she was inspired by the arrival of her teammates. At any rate, the issue was pretty fun, particularly with its somewhat shocking ending, Hela hanging on a pike. I also found the undead god's memories of Odin's confrontation with the Serpent interesting, particularly because I haven't seen anything about their confrontation before. (I'm assuming the Thor series are covering that.) The New Muties defending Hela's castle against the undead gods should be a pretty good story next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #543: It's hard to read this issue and not think that this story is exactly the type of story we all expected to read when we heard of "Fear Itself." I mean, everything falls apart here, because the "good guys" are forced into morally compromised positions to fend off the "bad guys." I loved Kitty's speech to Colossus, about how he's always ready to die for her but she needs someone who's ready to live for her. OMG, yes. I've been waiting for her to get there for YEARS. Although I was initially optimistic after the Breakworld arc that we would finally get a happy Kitty and Peter, I'm perfectly happy not to get one if it means that Kitty finally puts down her foot when it comes to Peter always sacrificing himself. Kitty and Peter being happy presumed that he'd stop throwing himself in front of the bus. If he can't do that, it's time for them to end, and I really applaud Gillen for being, like, the only X-book author ever to draw that conclusion. Moreover, I like the Scott we get here, by which I mean I don't like Scott here, but I like Gillen's portrayal of him. First, Land does an amazing job of showing Scott's confusion when he sees Colossus. It's one of the few moments where I've ever seen the modern Scott Summers actually show a moment of conflict, a moment of wondering whether he made the right choice. Second, his conversation with Sadie is disturbing. Given that this issue happens along the backdrop of "X-Men: Schism," it fits with the scary Scott we've seen lately. Gillen uses both these instances to show a Scott who isn't quite the person he thinks (or hopes) he is. Looking at this arc, I can say, with certainty, that Gillen is the only author who really took "Fear Itself" and made it his own, using its premise to further his characters while at the same time telling a story that made sense in context of the event. Well done, Kieron. Well done.
Uncanny X-Men #478-#480: "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire:" Parts 4-6
Uncanny X-Men #478: OK, it's probably time something happens here. After last issue, which more or less served as a recap of "X-Men: Deadly Genesis" for those folks who didn't read it, I was kind of expecting we'd see the X-Men makes some progress in their attempt to find a way to track down Vulcan. Instead, they're still lost in space, and they don't really seem to have a plan to resolve that problem. They stop at a Shi'Ar space station to re-fuel, but, if I'm not mistaken, it would take them a fairly long time to make it to the Imperium without the stargates. (After all, as we learn in this issue, Vulcan had gone through -- and destroyed -- 55 percent of them and still hadn't reached the throneworld, Chandilar.) But, the X-Men seem content to make their way lazily through the Imperium, despite the fact their mission has a fair level of urgency. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a decent issue. The fight with the Skrulls was fun, and I enjoyed Brubaker giving us a fan wank with the conversation between Havok and Polaris about Jean. I'm also intrigued by Brubaker's decision to add to the mix the Shi'Ar's hatred for "the line of the Phoenix." But, both the Skrulls fight and the Phoenix business felt like distractions. Moreover, the addition of the two Shi'Ar crew members' recognition of Professor X is probably just going to continue to derail us. (Can't Rachel just read their minds?) At this point, it's probably time for something to happen.
Uncanny X-Men #479: OK, something happens! I was first impressed by Brubaker's ability to juggle several different plots and storylines over the course of multiple-issue arcs in "Captain America," and I'm no less impressed here. Although it's still a distraction from the main plot (the X-Men chasing Vulcan), Brubaker delivers a winner with the Blade of the Phoenix story, giving us a tragic figure in the form of Korvus, whose life story closely matches Rachel's. (Moreover, the fight scene between the two of them was awesome. Full props to Tan for that one.) I liked how Brubaker took the time to do some character work with Nightcrawler and Warpath, with Warpath expressing his frustration with traveling in space (preferring to have grass under his feet) and Kurt marveling at the wonders of it. For me, the only down note continues to be the Professor X sub-plot. The addition of the two Shi'Ar "guests" last issue felt forced, and it does so again here, somewhat bluntly serving merely as a means of advancing the plot. (Brubaker addresses my question about Rachel reading the guests' minds from last issue, but can she really not break through Shi'Ar counter-telepathy training and read their minds? Moreover, given that everyone BUT the Professor thought it was a bad idea to keep them on the ship, why would they allow him to do so? I thought we proved in "X-Men: Deadly Genesis" that blindly following his orders isn't a good idea.) But, I asked for something to happen and I got it. Brubaker may be stalling with these additional sub-plots, but at least he's making it mostly an enjoyable experience.
Uncanny X-Men #480: This issue is pretty awesome. Brubaker is doing a great job fleshing out Vulcan. He's dealt his first real defeat at the hands of Gladiator, but not before seemingly killing half the Imperial Guard. Although Vulcan has killed before, I feel like this issue is where we see his real brutality, where he finally gets the opportunity to prove himself against beings on his level (and not just the innocent victims he's previously killed). But, he fails and, as we see in his conversation with his younger self, he lacks the maturity to fully handle that failure. Although it bordered on excessive exposition, I felt like that conversation with his younger self was really useful, underling that, under it all, Vulcan is a scared teenager. Brubaker has given us several factors driving Vulcan's instability -- the effects of the Shi'Ar rapidly aging him, the shock of waking from his coma having been left for dead by Xavier, the horror of seeing his own mother's death through Corsair's memories. But, it's the scared teenager part that on one hand explains how that instability manifests itself (in the need for getting revenge and proving himself) and on the other hand makes Vulcan (almost) a sympathetic character. Just like he did with Bucky Barnes, Brubaker is doing an excellent job creating a truly tragic figure, this time on the darker side of the spectrum. I can't wait to see how the addition of Deathbird to the mix is going to go.
Final Thoughts: This second quarter of the arc started slow, but I trust Brubaker to be moving us slowly but surely to a spectacular finish. You can feel Vulcan's rage building and building as he faces obstacles for the first time and everything doesn't go according to his plan. He radiates a need for acceptance, but he's ultimately a villain because he can't bring himself to take it when it's offered. He's like the intergalactic, mutant version of Jason Todd, which raises the question: why are bad guys always so sexy?
Uncanny X-Men #479: OK, something happens! I was first impressed by Brubaker's ability to juggle several different plots and storylines over the course of multiple-issue arcs in "Captain America," and I'm no less impressed here. Although it's still a distraction from the main plot (the X-Men chasing Vulcan), Brubaker delivers a winner with the Blade of the Phoenix story, giving us a tragic figure in the form of Korvus, whose life story closely matches Rachel's. (Moreover, the fight scene between the two of them was awesome. Full props to Tan for that one.) I liked how Brubaker took the time to do some character work with Nightcrawler and Warpath, with Warpath expressing his frustration with traveling in space (preferring to have grass under his feet) and Kurt marveling at the wonders of it. For me, the only down note continues to be the Professor X sub-plot. The addition of the two Shi'Ar "guests" last issue felt forced, and it does so again here, somewhat bluntly serving merely as a means of advancing the plot. (Brubaker addresses my question about Rachel reading the guests' minds from last issue, but can she really not break through Shi'Ar counter-telepathy training and read their minds? Moreover, given that everyone BUT the Professor thought it was a bad idea to keep them on the ship, why would they allow him to do so? I thought we proved in "X-Men: Deadly Genesis" that blindly following his orders isn't a good idea.) But, I asked for something to happen and I got it. Brubaker may be stalling with these additional sub-plots, but at least he's making it mostly an enjoyable experience.
Uncanny X-Men #480: This issue is pretty awesome. Brubaker is doing a great job fleshing out Vulcan. He's dealt his first real defeat at the hands of Gladiator, but not before seemingly killing half the Imperial Guard. Although Vulcan has killed before, I feel like this issue is where we see his real brutality, where he finally gets the opportunity to prove himself against beings on his level (and not just the innocent victims he's previously killed). But, he fails and, as we see in his conversation with his younger self, he lacks the maturity to fully handle that failure. Although it bordered on excessive exposition, I felt like that conversation with his younger self was really useful, underling that, under it all, Vulcan is a scared teenager. Brubaker has given us several factors driving Vulcan's instability -- the effects of the Shi'Ar rapidly aging him, the shock of waking from his coma having been left for dead by Xavier, the horror of seeing his own mother's death through Corsair's memories. But, it's the scared teenager part that on one hand explains how that instability manifests itself (in the need for getting revenge and proving himself) and on the other hand makes Vulcan (almost) a sympathetic character. Just like he did with Bucky Barnes, Brubaker is doing an excellent job creating a truly tragic figure, this time on the darker side of the spectrum. I can't wait to see how the addition of Deathbird to the mix is going to go.
Final Thoughts: This second quarter of the arc started slow, but I trust Brubaker to be moving us slowly but surely to a spectacular finish. You can feel Vulcan's rage building and building as he faces obstacles for the first time and everything doesn't go according to his plan. He radiates a need for acceptance, but he's ultimately a villain because he can't bring himself to take it when it's offered. He's like the intergalactic, mutant version of Jason Todd, which raises the question: why are bad guys always so sexy?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Uncanny X-Men #475-#477: "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire:" Parts 1-3
I wasn't planning on reviewing "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire," but I'm finding reviewing is like a drug! I decided to read this arc partly because I was interested in the Vulcan character after reading the "X-Men: Deadly Genesis" TPB a few years ago. But, mostly, it's because of the current storyline in "X-Men Legacy," where Rogue and company go into space to retrieve Havok, Marvel Girl, and Polaris, and because the events in "Rise and Fall" play a part in "War of Kings," which I'm approaching as I make my way through the "Nova" series. In other words, I'm mostly reading it as background. But, after the awesome first issue, I find myself sucked into the world Brubaker creates, so I definitely want to talk about it. I'm going to be a little easier on myself, though, going with the paragraph review rather than a full-on page review with summaries, goods, bads, etc. Enough shop talk, though. Onto the reviewing!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36: "Peter Parker Must Die!"
** (two of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Later, bro!" -- Peter to JJJ, Sr.
Summary
The issue opens with Peter Parker seemingly burning down a guy's house with his family in it in Portland, Oregon "several years ago." It then moves to the present day (and Boston), where Peter is at Aunt May and JJJ, Sr.'s rehearsal dinner. JJJ, Sr. reveals a surprise, that he's found Aunt May's long-lost sister, Jan, and her family. Pete excuses himself to the bathroom (after Jan judges him for being "directionless" and alone and he realizes that he has the hots for his three new cousins), where he's attacked by some guy calling himself the Raptor. Since he's in his civies, he maneuvers the fight outside the building, where he changes into his Spidey costume. The two fight, and Raptor reveals that he was attacking Peter Parker because he thought he was Ben Reilly, the man who killed his family. After recovering from his shock of hearing the name, Spidey tells the Raptor Ben's dead, only to have the Raptor punch him, call him a liar, and escape. The issue ends with Peter checking the Raptor's story on-line and finding the newspaper articles about the fire, which show a sketch of Ben as the prime suspect.
The Review
As I will mention in my review of the upcoming "Red-Headed Stranger" arc, I was surprised when the Reillys suddenly appeared in issue #601. I also had no idea who the Raptor guy was who was spying on Peter. Eventually, in issue #605, Wacker lets us know both the Reillys and the Raptor were introduced in Annual #36. So, here we are. I actually enjoyed this issue more than two stars imply. When I first read it, I just enjoyed the fact that it's well written, well drawn, and fast-paced. But, it raised some questions that don't make a lot of sense from a continuity stand-point, and I found myself distracted by them after I read it.
The Good
As I mentioned above, the issue is fun, continuity-questions aside. The art is well done (and invokes a 90s kind of feel that fits perfectly with a book that resurrects the Clone Saga) and the plot moves at a nice pace.
The Unsure
For those of us unfortunate enough to remember the Clone Saga, Peter Parker was, indeed, in Portland, Oregon "several years ago," though I have no memory of Ben Reilly ever being there. We don't exactly know everything Ben Reilly did during his five years "on the road," so it's certainly possible he passed through Portland at some point. However, I thought Marvel had purged the Clone Saga from its history. Although it would still technically be part of Spidey's history (it wasn't really connected to Mary Jane and Peter's marriage), I thought the editors just didn't ever want it mentioned again. I have to admit, I'm nervous by it being re-introduced here. The Clone Saga pretty much ruined Spider-Man for me, and I'm scared we're going to be forced to relive it at some point. That said, it fills in part of the questions remaining from "One More Day," adding one more event to the "yes, it really did happen" side of the ledger. Many of us may have wished it hadn't, but I give Marvel credit for not taking the cop-out and ret-conning it away.
The Bad
1) The Raptor character is a little all over the place. I mean, his arm spikes and sharp teeth are cool and he's the perfect villain for Spider-Man, power-wise, since his strengths are in hand-to-hand combat. I think we're more or less left to assume (until we get an origin issue written about him) that he got his powers after his confrontation with Ben, possibly to use them against Ben. But, since it's clear that he didn't know Ben was Spider-Man (or else he wouldn't have been surprised when Spidey appeared on the scene), then I wonder why exactly he needed superpowers to attack him. Also, why'd he wait all this time? We'll presumably get answers eventually, but both those questions are unlikely, to my mind, to be answered in a way that makes sense.
2) Aunt May had a long-lost sister. It seems kind of weird for that to be revealed now. I mean, Peter seems surprised by their existence, so Aunt May apparently has never mentioned them? But, I mean, didn't she have access to the Internet? Plus, Jan says that they don't like talking about their sister, April, because she stopped speaking to them years ago. Well, I mean, it's not like Aunt May and Jan were actually in touch during that time, either. Anyway, it's a weird plot point.
Favorite Quote: "Later, bro!" -- Peter to JJJ, Sr.
Summary
The issue opens with Peter Parker seemingly burning down a guy's house with his family in it in Portland, Oregon "several years ago." It then moves to the present day (and Boston), where Peter is at Aunt May and JJJ, Sr.'s rehearsal dinner. JJJ, Sr. reveals a surprise, that he's found Aunt May's long-lost sister, Jan, and her family. Pete excuses himself to the bathroom (after Jan judges him for being "directionless" and alone and he realizes that he has the hots for his three new cousins), where he's attacked by some guy calling himself the Raptor. Since he's in his civies, he maneuvers the fight outside the building, where he changes into his Spidey costume. The two fight, and Raptor reveals that he was attacking Peter Parker because he thought he was Ben Reilly, the man who killed his family. After recovering from his shock of hearing the name, Spidey tells the Raptor Ben's dead, only to have the Raptor punch him, call him a liar, and escape. The issue ends with Peter checking the Raptor's story on-line and finding the newspaper articles about the fire, which show a sketch of Ben as the prime suspect.
The Review
As I will mention in my review of the upcoming "Red-Headed Stranger" arc, I was surprised when the Reillys suddenly appeared in issue #601. I also had no idea who the Raptor guy was who was spying on Peter. Eventually, in issue #605, Wacker lets us know both the Reillys and the Raptor were introduced in Annual #36. So, here we are. I actually enjoyed this issue more than two stars imply. When I first read it, I just enjoyed the fact that it's well written, well drawn, and fast-paced. But, it raised some questions that don't make a lot of sense from a continuity stand-point, and I found myself distracted by them after I read it.
The Good
As I mentioned above, the issue is fun, continuity-questions aside. The art is well done (and invokes a 90s kind of feel that fits perfectly with a book that resurrects the Clone Saga) and the plot moves at a nice pace.
The Unsure
For those of us unfortunate enough to remember the Clone Saga, Peter Parker was, indeed, in Portland, Oregon "several years ago," though I have no memory of Ben Reilly ever being there. We don't exactly know everything Ben Reilly did during his five years "on the road," so it's certainly possible he passed through Portland at some point. However, I thought Marvel had purged the Clone Saga from its history. Although it would still technically be part of Spidey's history (it wasn't really connected to Mary Jane and Peter's marriage), I thought the editors just didn't ever want it mentioned again. I have to admit, I'm nervous by it being re-introduced here. The Clone Saga pretty much ruined Spider-Man for me, and I'm scared we're going to be forced to relive it at some point. That said, it fills in part of the questions remaining from "One More Day," adding one more event to the "yes, it really did happen" side of the ledger. Many of us may have wished it hadn't, but I give Marvel credit for not taking the cop-out and ret-conning it away.
The Bad
1) The Raptor character is a little all over the place. I mean, his arm spikes and sharp teeth are cool and he's the perfect villain for Spider-Man, power-wise, since his strengths are in hand-to-hand combat. I think we're more or less left to assume (until we get an origin issue written about him) that he got his powers after his confrontation with Ben, possibly to use them against Ben. But, since it's clear that he didn't know Ben was Spider-Man (or else he wouldn't have been surprised when Spidey appeared on the scene), then I wonder why exactly he needed superpowers to attack him. Also, why'd he wait all this time? We'll presumably get answers eventually, but both those questions are unlikely, to my mind, to be answered in a way that makes sense.
2) Aunt May had a long-lost sister. It seems kind of weird for that to be revealed now. I mean, Peter seems surprised by their existence, so Aunt May apparently has never mentioned them? But, I mean, didn't she have access to the Internet? Plus, Jan says that they don't like talking about their sister, April, because she stopped speaking to them years ago. Well, I mean, it's not like Aunt May and Jan were actually in touch during that time, either. Anyway, it's a weird plot point.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #595-#599: "American Son"
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Okay, he can marry my aunt. Hell, he can marry me." -- Peter, referring to JJJ, Sr. after he tells Norman Osborn to shove it
Summary
After his epiphany last arc that his anxiety comes from his unresolved issues with Norman Osborn, Peter tries to get Ben Urich to go after Norman. Urich agrees, but only if Peter actually gets something on Osborn. Spidey consults with Wolverine, confessing that he's had opportunities to kill Osborn before and, by not taking them, feels he's to blame for Osborn gaining the power he has. Wolverine advises Spidey to end Osborn, permanently. At a dinner in honor of Aunt May and JJJ, Sr., JJJ, Jr. reveals he's invited Norman Osborn, who's there to speak with Harry, who accompanied Peter. (Follow that?) Norman offers Harry a job with the Avengers; Harry declines. Peter attacks Norman later, only to be present when Norman gets a call from Harry accepting his offer. (Harry does so after it's revealed Lily Hollister is pregnant, allegedly with his child.) Norah infiltrates Avengers Tower by posing as a page to try to get something on Osborn. Spidey also infiltrates Avengers Tower, by posing as Venom (who's posing as Spidey) thanks to a costume rigged by Mr. Fantastic. Norman reveals to the Dark Avengers (and Spidey) that his plan is to have Harry assume the identity of "American Son," the Dark Avengers' version of Captain America. Meanwhile, Harry is revealed to have only joined his father so that he can find a way to de-Goblin Lily. Spidey gets his ass handed to him by Daken, who had sniffed out Spidey's deception instantly. Norman tries to carve Spidey from his Venom costume. Lily refuses Harry's attempt to help her when he reveals he actually discovered a way to de-Goblinize her, revealing that the baby is actually Norman's, not Harry's. Spidey escapes, but he's so weakened from the torture that Norman captures him and is on the verge of killing him when an irate Harry, now in the American Son armor, attacks. Norman (somehow) dons the Iron Patriot armor and fights back. Harry wins, though Spidey keeps him from killing Norman; Harry instead disowns him. In the epilogue, it appears Harry may be on the road back to addiction when the doctor he sees prescribes him oxycontin and Norah, who got access to all she needed about Norman, is scared into backing off the story after receiving a threatening e-mail from Norman.
The Review
This arc was awesome. I would've given it five stars, except for the sill identity shenanigans and loose plot points discussed below. We really see the logical progression of Spidey's new "Brand New Day" relationship with Harry and Norman, and it doesn't disappoint. I enjoyed Kelly giving us a full consideration of Peter's need to resolve his relationship with Norman -- and the lengths to which he considers going to do it. One of the aspects of "New Ways to Die!" that I didn't like is that it just presented Spidey's animosity toward Norman (and vice versa) as a fait accompli. It was just the same old "he's my arch-nemesis so I have to destroy him" schtick. But, here, we see Kelly taking the relationship to the next level, with Peter spending the whole arc really analyzing his options and considering how they affect Harry.
The Really Good
1) OMG, Peter flirting with Sue! OMG, Peter flirting with Sue! Honestly, it's the first time I recall anyone (including Peter) treating Sue Richards as anything other than a mother or a saint. Her appearance was a great, unexpected guest spot, as was Wolverine's. I normally don't like Wolverine, but his appearance here really made sense, giving Pete advice (permanently resolve Norman Osborn) that he wasn't going to get from, say, Aunt May. Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, I feel like the writers wouldn't have gone for this simple sort of grace note, a unadvertised guest that adds some energy to the book and moves along the plot. Instead, we would've gotten some super-hyped "CROSS-OVER" event and wound up being annoyed when it was only a page or two long.
2) I enjoyed watching Peter struggle with the decision on what to do with Norman. From his conversations with Wolverine, Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, and JJJ, Sr. (talk about a diverse group), we see Peter really trying to find a way to help his friend. We usually don't see that sort of deliberation in superhero comics; normally, they just seem to know what they're going to do and go do it. Peter has always been the best part of Spidey, and we really see his humanity (for lack of a less clichéd term). We also see his dark side here, with him considering killing Norman, something we don't see frequently from the Wall Crawler. Watching Peter wrestle with these emotions and decisions makes the resolution of the story -- and the revelation of how he integrates all that advice he received -- all the more satisfying.
3) Peter's conversation with JJJ, Sr. here was really well done, and it's the first moment where I thought, "Huh, maybe they're not going to kill him off immediately." The writers seem to be -- slowly -- putting JJJ, Sr. into an Uncle Ben sort of role, and I think we all agree Peter could use that in his life. I could actually foresee a future where JJJ, Sr. discovers that Peter is Spider-Man and keeps the secret without letting Aunt May know. I now hope that they don't kill off JJJ, Sr. as soon as I figured they would, because, not only do I like him for the fact that JJJ, Jr. and Norman Osborn dislike him, but he's good for Peter.
4) I'm going to swear here, so, if you're a youngster, close your eyes: fuck, Norman Osborn is a sick, evil son of a bitch. "You're no longer my son." Wow. Kelly really gives us a Norman for the ages here. From the big scheme, getting Harry to become American Son and using him to lure in Spider-Man, to the smaller moments, like sending the creepy-as-hell e-mail to Norah, this arc is really Norman's tour de force of evil.
5) Along those lines, I clapped when Harry turned his back on Norman. I don't think we're going to see a sudden happy ending for Harry, but I was glad, after everything that's happened to him over the last few issues, to see him get at least a moment to shine.
The Good
1) OK, it's probably a "Brand New Day" thing, but I kind of enjoy the fact that Gwen is back. I mean, she's not back in a "OMG, they've returned Gwen Stacy from the dead and I'm going to have to give up comics again" "back," but "back" in the sense that we talk about her again. Peter talking to Gwen's tombstone was really poignant. It's probably something he does now that he's not married to MJ (since, pre-"Brand New Day," he would've just gone to MJ for advice), but it's another sign that the Web Heads are really attempting to integrate Peter's history (and, most importantly, his good history, not his "Clone Saga"/Spider-Totem history) into the book whenever possible.
2) I really like Norah. I feel like she's criminally under-used. I was more or less "meh" on Carlie, but Norah seems like a good foil for Peter. She's got that Lois Lane aspect to her: she might get in trouble and Spidey will have to "rescue" her, but she gets in trouble saving the world so she's not some helpless damsel in constant distress. Plus, Kelly really develops her here. So far, we've only seen her portrayed as brazenly confident; in fact, she's generally been a little unbelievable as a character, since she's almost been a caricature. But, we get to see fear here when she opens Norman's e-mail (an understandable response to Norman Osborn threatening you), and it makes her more real.
3) I kind of figured the baby was Norman's. I even kind of figured Lily was part of the ruse. But, I've got to say, after being ambivalent about Menace for so long, I'm really starting to like her as a villain. She's really cruel here in a way that surprises me, since we, of course, knew her first as Lily. Even when she revealed herself as Menace, she wasn't this evil. But, it's clear that Norman has done to her what he does best: corrupt her. It's painful to watch Harry get hurt by her, but it does amp up her status as a villain. But, Kelly gives her some humanity, too, when we see the fear on her face as Norman's talking to the baby he plans to raise to kill Spider-Man. Well done, Kelly, for really developing Menace into a rightful villain and an interesting character.
The Bad
1) The issue starts with Harry "helping" Peter pick up two girls in the park. Now, the last we left Harry, he seemed to be romancing Carlie after she helped him get on the wagon again. "Helping" Peter pick up two girls in the park doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening between Harry and Carlie. But, I get the sense that that storyline has been forgotten. I thought Norah and Randy Robertson were going to meet the same "never mention what happened during Spidey's time in the Macroverse again" fate after she passed Pete a note asking him to take her to dinner, but she did actually mention Randy outside Avengers Tower. At any rate, I'm surprised to see the Harry/Carlie storyline dropped so quickly, because it seemed to be the only thing keeping Carlie in play after Lily left the scene. (I'm not a huge fan of Carlie, so I wouldn't actually mind if we replaced her with Norah.)
2) As other writers have done, Kelly has to go through some gymnastics here to ensure that neither Harry nor Norman learns Spidey's identity. I mean, first, I don't know if I buy that Harry turned off his visor so he wouldn't see Spidey's identity. You hate the guy THAT much, but you decide to let him keep his secret identity? Moreover, in previous arcs, we've gotten hints that Harry might know Peter's identity (for example, their conversation on the sidewalk at the end of "Mind on Fire"). From the intimate tone of the Spidey's comments to Harry when he thought Harry had seen him, I'm pretty sure that, if Harry didn't know then, he would now, recognizing Peter's voice. Regarding Norman, as he himself notes, Spidey gets all emotional with Norman for at least the second time (the first being in "New Ways to Die!") over Harry. I don't really believe that Norman, once he's realized Spidey has some connection to his son, can't connect the dots. Norman's a pretty smart guy. I understand why the writers can't have either learn Spidey's identity, but they're really going to unbelievable lengths to keep it secret here.
3) I was kind of surprised by Harry's claim that Norman wasn't just getting Harry into the Avengers to have him become American Son, but also to use him as a lure for Spider-Man. As I mention above, Norman's smart enough to realize that Spidey's obsessed with Harry and getting him into the Avengers would drive Spidey crazy. But, how does Harry realize it? He just kind of blurts out his epiphany, and we don't really see what causes him to connect the dots.
4) I don't really recall JJJ, Jr. and JJJ, Sr. reconciling, but it appears they have. Last I remember, they were arguing over JJJ, Sr. leaving the family and over Spider-Man in "Spider-Man 24/7." Also, why exactly was Norman (and Harry, for that matter) invited to family dinner?
5) I know I'm getting nit-picky here, but it annoyed me, so I'll share it. For the most part, I liked the fact that Spidey crossed into the ongoing storyline in the Marvel Universe, "Dark Reign," given that its principal antagonist, Norman Osborn, is also his principal antagonist. But, Spidey "replacing" Venom (who "replaced" Spidey) only reminds us that it's kind of weird that Spidey hasn't been arrested by H.A.M.M.E.R. or SHIELD yet. When "Brand New Day" first began, Peter was hiding because he didn't reveal his identity, and so it was illegal for him to be Spider-Man. He was eventually convinced to don the suit, and we never really heard much about that angle again. He's been pursued by the City of New York, because the cops were framing him for being the "Tracer Killer" and JJJ, Jr. is, you know, crazy. But, other than Blue Shield and Jackpot trying to arrest him, SHIELD largely gave him a pass. Moreover, now that H.A.M.M.E.R. is in charge, no one seems to care that, theoretically, the world has two "real" Spider-Men. It's one of those annoying "Brand New Day" moments that you generally try to put in a box and not open. Unfortunately, the box was opened here.
Favorite Quote: "Okay, he can marry my aunt. Hell, he can marry me." -- Peter, referring to JJJ, Sr. after he tells Norman Osborn to shove it
Summary
After his epiphany last arc that his anxiety comes from his unresolved issues with Norman Osborn, Peter tries to get Ben Urich to go after Norman. Urich agrees, but only if Peter actually gets something on Osborn. Spidey consults with Wolverine, confessing that he's had opportunities to kill Osborn before and, by not taking them, feels he's to blame for Osborn gaining the power he has. Wolverine advises Spidey to end Osborn, permanently. At a dinner in honor of Aunt May and JJJ, Sr., JJJ, Jr. reveals he's invited Norman Osborn, who's there to speak with Harry, who accompanied Peter. (Follow that?) Norman offers Harry a job with the Avengers; Harry declines. Peter attacks Norman later, only to be present when Norman gets a call from Harry accepting his offer. (Harry does so after it's revealed Lily Hollister is pregnant, allegedly with his child.) Norah infiltrates Avengers Tower by posing as a page to try to get something on Osborn. Spidey also infiltrates Avengers Tower, by posing as Venom (who's posing as Spidey) thanks to a costume rigged by Mr. Fantastic. Norman reveals to the Dark Avengers (and Spidey) that his plan is to have Harry assume the identity of "American Son," the Dark Avengers' version of Captain America. Meanwhile, Harry is revealed to have only joined his father so that he can find a way to de-Goblin Lily. Spidey gets his ass handed to him by Daken, who had sniffed out Spidey's deception instantly. Norman tries to carve Spidey from his Venom costume. Lily refuses Harry's attempt to help her when he reveals he actually discovered a way to de-Goblinize her, revealing that the baby is actually Norman's, not Harry's. Spidey escapes, but he's so weakened from the torture that Norman captures him and is on the verge of killing him when an irate Harry, now in the American Son armor, attacks. Norman (somehow) dons the Iron Patriot armor and fights back. Harry wins, though Spidey keeps him from killing Norman; Harry instead disowns him. In the epilogue, it appears Harry may be on the road back to addiction when the doctor he sees prescribes him oxycontin and Norah, who got access to all she needed about Norman, is scared into backing off the story after receiving a threatening e-mail from Norman.
The Review
This arc was awesome. I would've given it five stars, except for the sill identity shenanigans and loose plot points discussed below. We really see the logical progression of Spidey's new "Brand New Day" relationship with Harry and Norman, and it doesn't disappoint. I enjoyed Kelly giving us a full consideration of Peter's need to resolve his relationship with Norman -- and the lengths to which he considers going to do it. One of the aspects of "New Ways to Die!" that I didn't like is that it just presented Spidey's animosity toward Norman (and vice versa) as a fait accompli. It was just the same old "he's my arch-nemesis so I have to destroy him" schtick. But, here, we see Kelly taking the relationship to the next level, with Peter spending the whole arc really analyzing his options and considering how they affect Harry.
The Really Good
1) OMG, Peter flirting with Sue! OMG, Peter flirting with Sue! Honestly, it's the first time I recall anyone (including Peter) treating Sue Richards as anything other than a mother or a saint. Her appearance was a great, unexpected guest spot, as was Wolverine's. I normally don't like Wolverine, but his appearance here really made sense, giving Pete advice (permanently resolve Norman Osborn) that he wasn't going to get from, say, Aunt May. Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, I feel like the writers wouldn't have gone for this simple sort of grace note, a unadvertised guest that adds some energy to the book and moves along the plot. Instead, we would've gotten some super-hyped "CROSS-OVER" event and wound up being annoyed when it was only a page or two long.
2) I enjoyed watching Peter struggle with the decision on what to do with Norman. From his conversations with Wolverine, Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, and JJJ, Sr. (talk about a diverse group), we see Peter really trying to find a way to help his friend. We usually don't see that sort of deliberation in superhero comics; normally, they just seem to know what they're going to do and go do it. Peter has always been the best part of Spidey, and we really see his humanity (for lack of a less clichéd term). We also see his dark side here, with him considering killing Norman, something we don't see frequently from the Wall Crawler. Watching Peter wrestle with these emotions and decisions makes the resolution of the story -- and the revelation of how he integrates all that advice he received -- all the more satisfying.
3) Peter's conversation with JJJ, Sr. here was really well done, and it's the first moment where I thought, "Huh, maybe they're not going to kill him off immediately." The writers seem to be -- slowly -- putting JJJ, Sr. into an Uncle Ben sort of role, and I think we all agree Peter could use that in his life. I could actually foresee a future where JJJ, Sr. discovers that Peter is Spider-Man and keeps the secret without letting Aunt May know. I now hope that they don't kill off JJJ, Sr. as soon as I figured they would, because, not only do I like him for the fact that JJJ, Jr. and Norman Osborn dislike him, but he's good for Peter.
4) I'm going to swear here, so, if you're a youngster, close your eyes: fuck, Norman Osborn is a sick, evil son of a bitch. "You're no longer my son." Wow. Kelly really gives us a Norman for the ages here. From the big scheme, getting Harry to become American Son and using him to lure in Spider-Man, to the smaller moments, like sending the creepy-as-hell e-mail to Norah, this arc is really Norman's tour de force of evil.
5) Along those lines, I clapped when Harry turned his back on Norman. I don't think we're going to see a sudden happy ending for Harry, but I was glad, after everything that's happened to him over the last few issues, to see him get at least a moment to shine.
The Good
1) OK, it's probably a "Brand New Day" thing, but I kind of enjoy the fact that Gwen is back. I mean, she's not back in a "OMG, they've returned Gwen Stacy from the dead and I'm going to have to give up comics again" "back," but "back" in the sense that we talk about her again. Peter talking to Gwen's tombstone was really poignant. It's probably something he does now that he's not married to MJ (since, pre-"Brand New Day," he would've just gone to MJ for advice), but it's another sign that the Web Heads are really attempting to integrate Peter's history (and, most importantly, his good history, not his "Clone Saga"/Spider-Totem history) into the book whenever possible.
2) I really like Norah. I feel like she's criminally under-used. I was more or less "meh" on Carlie, but Norah seems like a good foil for Peter. She's got that Lois Lane aspect to her: she might get in trouble and Spidey will have to "rescue" her, but she gets in trouble saving the world so she's not some helpless damsel in constant distress. Plus, Kelly really develops her here. So far, we've only seen her portrayed as brazenly confident; in fact, she's generally been a little unbelievable as a character, since she's almost been a caricature. But, we get to see fear here when she opens Norman's e-mail (an understandable response to Norman Osborn threatening you), and it makes her more real.
3) I kind of figured the baby was Norman's. I even kind of figured Lily was part of the ruse. But, I've got to say, after being ambivalent about Menace for so long, I'm really starting to like her as a villain. She's really cruel here in a way that surprises me, since we, of course, knew her first as Lily. Even when she revealed herself as Menace, she wasn't this evil. But, it's clear that Norman has done to her what he does best: corrupt her. It's painful to watch Harry get hurt by her, but it does amp up her status as a villain. But, Kelly gives her some humanity, too, when we see the fear on her face as Norman's talking to the baby he plans to raise to kill Spider-Man. Well done, Kelly, for really developing Menace into a rightful villain and an interesting character.
The Bad
1) The issue starts with Harry "helping" Peter pick up two girls in the park. Now, the last we left Harry, he seemed to be romancing Carlie after she helped him get on the wagon again. "Helping" Peter pick up two girls in the park doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening between Harry and Carlie. But, I get the sense that that storyline has been forgotten. I thought Norah and Randy Robertson were going to meet the same "never mention what happened during Spidey's time in the Macroverse again" fate after she passed Pete a note asking him to take her to dinner, but she did actually mention Randy outside Avengers Tower. At any rate, I'm surprised to see the Harry/Carlie storyline dropped so quickly, because it seemed to be the only thing keeping Carlie in play after Lily left the scene. (I'm not a huge fan of Carlie, so I wouldn't actually mind if we replaced her with Norah.)
2) As other writers have done, Kelly has to go through some gymnastics here to ensure that neither Harry nor Norman learns Spidey's identity. I mean, first, I don't know if I buy that Harry turned off his visor so he wouldn't see Spidey's identity. You hate the guy THAT much, but you decide to let him keep his secret identity? Moreover, in previous arcs, we've gotten hints that Harry might know Peter's identity (for example, their conversation on the sidewalk at the end of "Mind on Fire"). From the intimate tone of the Spidey's comments to Harry when he thought Harry had seen him, I'm pretty sure that, if Harry didn't know then, he would now, recognizing Peter's voice. Regarding Norman, as he himself notes, Spidey gets all emotional with Norman for at least the second time (the first being in "New Ways to Die!") over Harry. I don't really believe that Norman, once he's realized Spidey has some connection to his son, can't connect the dots. Norman's a pretty smart guy. I understand why the writers can't have either learn Spidey's identity, but they're really going to unbelievable lengths to keep it secret here.
3) I was kind of surprised by Harry's claim that Norman wasn't just getting Harry into the Avengers to have him become American Son, but also to use him as a lure for Spider-Man. As I mention above, Norman's smart enough to realize that Spidey's obsessed with Harry and getting him into the Avengers would drive Spidey crazy. But, how does Harry realize it? He just kind of blurts out his epiphany, and we don't really see what causes him to connect the dots.
4) I don't really recall JJJ, Jr. and JJJ, Sr. reconciling, but it appears they have. Last I remember, they were arguing over JJJ, Sr. leaving the family and over Spider-Man in "Spider-Man 24/7." Also, why exactly was Norman (and Harry, for that matter) invited to family dinner?
5) I know I'm getting nit-picky here, but it annoyed me, so I'll share it. For the most part, I liked the fact that Spidey crossed into the ongoing storyline in the Marvel Universe, "Dark Reign," given that its principal antagonist, Norman Osborn, is also his principal antagonist. But, Spidey "replacing" Venom (who "replaced" Spidey) only reminds us that it's kind of weird that Spidey hasn't been arrested by H.A.M.M.E.R. or SHIELD yet. When "Brand New Day" first began, Peter was hiding because he didn't reveal his identity, and so it was illegal for him to be Spider-Man. He was eventually convinced to don the suit, and we never really heard much about that angle again. He's been pursued by the City of New York, because the cops were framing him for being the "Tracer Killer" and JJJ, Jr. is, you know, crazy. But, other than Blue Shield and Jackpot trying to arrest him, SHIELD largely gave him a pass. Moreover, now that H.A.M.M.E.R. is in charge, no one seems to care that, theoretically, the world has two "real" Spider-Men. It's one of those annoying "Brand New Day" moments that you generally try to put in a box and not open. Unfortunately, the box was opened here.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #592-#594: "Spider-Man 24/7"
**** (four of five stars)
Summary
Peter opens the arc debating whether to move to other locales in the wake of JJJ, Jr.'s election. Instead, he decides to offer Jonah a truce. When Jonah (shockingly) refuses said truce (and sics a SWAT team on Spidey), Peter decides to be Spidey 24/7, performing heroic acts just to annoy JJJ, Jr. However, Jonah deploys his special Anti-Spider Squad, a group of well-armed cops with a mission to stop Spidey. (Bet Vin regrets he's in jail for doing the same thing, but, you know, illegally.) Spidey's popularity builds, and the public even helps him escape the Anti-Spider Squad. Spidey also encounters a new version of the Vulture, who has been eating (yup, eating) criminals and appears to be touched by the Devil. (Just like Peter!) After (narrowly) escaping the Vulture, Pete discovers that Vin's sister has moved into the apartment (she's the one who paid the bills while Peter was in the Macroverse) and, well, let's just say the meeting doesn't go well. (But, we do get to see a naked Peter for four pages, so it wasn't all bad.) Peter eventually has a rematch with the Vulture, ruining a Mets game and finding himself the subject of the public's scorn yet again. Also in this issue: JJJ, Sr. proposes to Aunt May. That's it. Nothing else to mention really. Peter didn't walk into Aunt May's bedroom while she was getting busy with JJJ, Sr. Nope, he didn't.
Review
We take a break here from the ongoing sub-plots -- such as "What do you mean Spider-Man remembers people no longer remember his identity?" and "What the hell happened with Mary Jane?" -- for a walk down memory lane. Peter decides to take on JJJ, Jr. (heh) by being in costume all the time, showing New Yorkers what a hero he is. The result is the epitome of a happy-go-lucky, Friendly-Neighborhood Spider-Man story.
The Good
1) This arc is fun. The reason I rate this issue so highly, actually, is because it's just a good time.
2) However, despite being fun, the last scene -- where Spidey realizes that his anxiety over the last few weeks has been based on his unresolved relationship with Norman Osborn -- did a great job in returning us to reality. Peter did seem kind of unhinged in the FF arc (I thought he was being irrational over his refusal to unmask) and the need to show up Jameson by being Spidey all the time definitely wasn't coming from a good place. I totally buy that Norman Osborn's ascent to becoming America's top cop would push Peter over the edge, and I liked how Waid drew that connection. I don't know if it had actually been planned or if it was on a whim, but it does indeed give some clarity to Peter's behavior of late so I'll take it. Plus, Peter on a vendetta against Osborn is a fight I want to see.
The Meh
The new Vulture kind of falls in the same category of Menace and Mr. Negative for me: meh. I mean, we're not really given much here, so, like Menace and Mr. Negative in the beginning, I'll try to reserve judgment. But, my knee-jerk reaction is: meh.
The Unsure
I don't know what to think about the Aunt May/JJJ, Sr. situation. On one hand, Waid seems to be letting us know that it's not going to be the usual "Aunt May in love" story when Peter comments that JJJ, Sr. doesn't set off his Spider-Sense. It says to me that JJJ, Sr. isn't going to turn into some swindler or super-villain, like pretty much everyone else May has dated. On the other hand, why rush it? They've only apparently been dating a month in comic time, so why propose to her? Since Aunt May has been de-aged to be roughly in her 60s (rather than her 70s, which she always seemed to be), it's not like they're afraid one of them is going to die next week or something. I think (hope?) it's just the Spidey Brain Trust trying to move along the plot and not part of some diabolical plan. We shall see.
The Bad
I didn't really get why Vin's sister was so irate. Her reaction to seeing Peter was totally over the top in a pretty unbelievable way. I mean, people walk around their apartment naked when they think no one is home. It happens. I get that she was taken aback by Peter's sudden appearance in the apartment after his long absence, but, Jesus, it's not like he's just some guy off the street. He does actually live there. It was all just weird.
Friday, October 7, 2011
New Comics!: The X-Edition
Generation Hope #11: This issue is a weird one. In some ways, it's the culmination of tension that Gillen's been building for a while, with Laurie finally resisting Hope's control over her, a control that Gillen makes more clear than he previously has is intentional and not merely inspirational. The fight between them feels more organic -- and more intuitive -- than the one between Cyclops and Wolverine in "X-Men: Schism" #4 (detailed below). But, at the same time, it's still obviously motivated by the "X-Men: Schism" storyline. The conversation with the former "New X-Men" is a little...dull, mainly, I think, because at this point in the story Gillen fell into the trap that Aaron also faces, with the characters becoming more mouthpieces for philosophies than characters with emotions. I'm intrigued who's going to be on the team come "Generation Hope" #12.
X-Factor #225: Sometimes, I forget that Peter David is not a normal comic-book writer. I mean, we all know his dialogue and characterizations are top notch. But, he also exhibits a command over the past, present, and future of his characters that really makes this book as amazing as it is. Most writers would've left the resolution of last issue's surprise ending dangling for a few months (if they got to it at all). David, however, leaps right into the story in this issue. He occasionally drags on an arc an issue too long (I remember feeling a little bored during the middle of the Vegas arc and totally over the JJJ, Jr. arc by its end), but he does manage to keep momentum going between arcs. In the last few months, we've gone from the JJJ, Jr. mystery arc to the Rahne's baby arc to this new creepy one, and he's moved us fairly seemlessly between them. Moreover, not only does he not drop stories that he hints are coming, he also doesn't drop stories that have already happened. He's slowly but surely playing out the consequences of Layla's resurrection of Guido in the JJJ, Jr. arc (the scene where Madrox confronts her sotte voce was excellent), and it's pretty clear that the aftermath of Rahne rejecting her baby isn't going to be forgotten any time soon. All the better (yes, I'm raving at this point), he takes the time to keep even longer-simmering sub-plots moving. It seems we might soon get some long overdue answers about Layla and David may be the author that finally clarifies Longshot and Shatterstar's relationship. But, as if all these overarching reasons aren't proof enough that "X-Factor" is one of the best books on the market, the story itself in this issue is fun and intriguing. David plays up some jealousy on Shatterstar's part when Rictor runs to celebrate the use of his newly rediscovered powers with Rahne, and Madrox gets in some excellent one-liners. ("I don't actually, but I'm just acting on herd instinct.") Also, who expected Sarah to be resurrected and attack the team? All in all, an excellent issue of a spectacular series.
X-Men #18: Meh. I'm not really feeling this arc. I know I'm supposed to be all "OMG! The FF AND the X-Men! Doom and Magneto! OMG!" But, I'm just not. The reveal that Doom was playing Scorpius all along was pretty predictable. Although Gischler gives us some fun moments (I thoroughly enjoyed Emma and Scott's conversation), overall it's a pretty standard middle act of a "our heroes are in trouble" story.
X-Men: Schism #4: I've reserved judgment on this series for a while. The idea that the rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine would eventually tear the team apart is one that makes intuititve sense to anyone who's read a "X-Men" comic at any point over the last 20 or so years. The problem, though, is that the positions that the two of them take do not make intuitive sense. At the end of the day, I simply do not buy Wolverine's sudden conversion to pacificism. I'm oversimplifying it, obviously. Aaron does attempt to reconcile Wolverine's position with his character, having Logan assert that he kills so children don't have to do so. But, this argument just doesn't make sense for the guy who taught Shadowcat and Jubilee how to fight. The problem is that, if you don't buy this divide between Cyclops and Wolverine, you don't buy the whole endeavor, which is where I find myself. The whole point of "Schism" is that, after it, we're going to get two camps of X-Men, each one aligned around a character -- Cyclops or Wolverine -- and the philosophy he embodies. The problem is that, even conceding Wolverine's newfound "no kids fighting" position, I don't really see that much difference between them. OK, Wolverine doesn't think children should be sent into battle. So, what? His side isn't going to have anyone under the age of 18? Is that it? Is this whole schism based around whether or not you get carded at the door of the X-Mansion? Once upon a time, I could've believed a world where Wolverine staked out a more aggressive position than Scott, but, given Cyclops' behavior over the last few years, even that approach would seem a stretch. The fact that the two of them have been so closely aligned lately makes this schism all the more confusing. Aaron (and the other X-book authors) haven't really been telling a story of Wolvie coming to a pacifist position over the last few months or years. As such, it feels rushed. He does raise the possibility, with the Jean conversation, that the schism might not really about philosophy at the end of the day. Maybe it's just about them hating each other, maybe it's just about Scott going too far, maybe it's just about the girl. At this point, though, I think it's time to wrap up this whole affair. Although it's a much tighter and better crafted story than "Fear Itself," I'm ready for it to end, just like "Fear Itself," so we can start telling interesting stories again.
X-Factor #225: Sometimes, I forget that Peter David is not a normal comic-book writer. I mean, we all know his dialogue and characterizations are top notch. But, he also exhibits a command over the past, present, and future of his characters that really makes this book as amazing as it is. Most writers would've left the resolution of last issue's surprise ending dangling for a few months (if they got to it at all). David, however, leaps right into the story in this issue. He occasionally drags on an arc an issue too long (I remember feeling a little bored during the middle of the Vegas arc and totally over the JJJ, Jr. arc by its end), but he does manage to keep momentum going between arcs. In the last few months, we've gone from the JJJ, Jr. mystery arc to the Rahne's baby arc to this new creepy one, and he's moved us fairly seemlessly between them. Moreover, not only does he not drop stories that he hints are coming, he also doesn't drop stories that have already happened. He's slowly but surely playing out the consequences of Layla's resurrection of Guido in the JJJ, Jr. arc (the scene where Madrox confronts her sotte voce was excellent), and it's pretty clear that the aftermath of Rahne rejecting her baby isn't going to be forgotten any time soon. All the better (yes, I'm raving at this point), he takes the time to keep even longer-simmering sub-plots moving. It seems we might soon get some long overdue answers about Layla and David may be the author that finally clarifies Longshot and Shatterstar's relationship. But, as if all these overarching reasons aren't proof enough that "X-Factor" is one of the best books on the market, the story itself in this issue is fun and intriguing. David plays up some jealousy on Shatterstar's part when Rictor runs to celebrate the use of his newly rediscovered powers with Rahne, and Madrox gets in some excellent one-liners. ("I don't actually, but I'm just acting on herd instinct.") Also, who expected Sarah to be resurrected and attack the team? All in all, an excellent issue of a spectacular series.
X-Men #18: Meh. I'm not really feeling this arc. I know I'm supposed to be all "OMG! The FF AND the X-Men! Doom and Magneto! OMG!" But, I'm just not. The reveal that Doom was playing Scorpius all along was pretty predictable. Although Gischler gives us some fun moments (I thoroughly enjoyed Emma and Scott's conversation), overall it's a pretty standard middle act of a "our heroes are in trouble" story.
X-Men: Schism #4: I've reserved judgment on this series for a while. The idea that the rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine would eventually tear the team apart is one that makes intuititve sense to anyone who's read a "X-Men" comic at any point over the last 20 or so years. The problem, though, is that the positions that the two of them take do not make intuitive sense. At the end of the day, I simply do not buy Wolverine's sudden conversion to pacificism. I'm oversimplifying it, obviously. Aaron does attempt to reconcile Wolverine's position with his character, having Logan assert that he kills so children don't have to do so. But, this argument just doesn't make sense for the guy who taught Shadowcat and Jubilee how to fight. The problem is that, if you don't buy this divide between Cyclops and Wolverine, you don't buy the whole endeavor, which is where I find myself. The whole point of "Schism" is that, after it, we're going to get two camps of X-Men, each one aligned around a character -- Cyclops or Wolverine -- and the philosophy he embodies. The problem is that, even conceding Wolverine's newfound "no kids fighting" position, I don't really see that much difference between them. OK, Wolverine doesn't think children should be sent into battle. So, what? His side isn't going to have anyone under the age of 18? Is that it? Is this whole schism based around whether or not you get carded at the door of the X-Mansion? Once upon a time, I could've believed a world where Wolverine staked out a more aggressive position than Scott, but, given Cyclops' behavior over the last few years, even that approach would seem a stretch. The fact that the two of them have been so closely aligned lately makes this schism all the more confusing. Aaron (and the other X-book authors) haven't really been telling a story of Wolvie coming to a pacifist position over the last few months or years. As such, it feels rushed. He does raise the possibility, with the Jean conversation, that the schism might not really about philosophy at the end of the day. Maybe it's just about them hating each other, maybe it's just about Scott going too far, maybe it's just about the girl. At this point, though, I think it's time to wrap up this whole affair. Although it's a much tighter and better crafted story than "Fear Itself," I'm ready for it to end, just like "Fear Itself," so we can start telling interesting stories again.
Amazing Spider-Man #590-#591: "Face Front"
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Hi, Pete. Long time, no see." -- Johnny Storm to Spidey, upon his unmasking
Summary
Previously, on Spider-Man, an unmasked Spidey and the FF went to the Macroverse for...some reason or another. Johnny and Pete flirted. Upon seeing a damsel in distress, Johnny, Pete, and Ben decided to help. Later, the FF get a distress call from the Macroverse asking for them and Spidey to return, which they do. Once there, they discover that, by saying the damsel, they sparked a war between two tribes. They also discover that time moves 13.5 days more slowly in the Macroverse than on Earth, causing Spidey to miss several important events (e.g., Harry falling off the wagon and Carlie helping him recover, Flash winning a wheelchair race, Norah dating Robbie Robertson's son, and Aunt May dating JJJ, Sr.). But, the FF and Spidey commit to helping resolve the war, which they do. Meanwhile, Johnny see a statue of an unmasked Spider-Man and realizes that he used to know Spidey's identity. Reed develops a way to mimic Mephisto's psychic block, and Peter unmasks. He also discovers, upon returning home, he missed the most important event: JJJ, Jr. has been elected mayor!
The Review
I wanted to give this arc four stars, because Spidey's interaction with the FF is great. But, the confusing plot involving the warring tribes, the bizarre revelation that Pete knows about the mindwipe, and the art inconsistencies in issue #591 bumped it to a three. Regarding the revelation, I'm quite surprised by it. I go into further detail below, but I'm surprised that the Spidery Brain Trust decides to add a "One More Day" plot twist. We had pretty much gotten to the point where the only dangling thread was "what happened to MJ and Peter?" By introducing uncertainty about what Peter remembers, the Spidery Brain Trust has re-invoked "One More Day," despite the fact that the issues in the new status quo that have focused on those sorts of plots have generally been the least enjoyable.
The Really Good
1) The Torch/Spidey interactions are great here not because of witty banter, the usual expression of their long friendship, but because of real issues. It showed a depth to their friendship that I don't know if we've ever seen before (at least to such an extent). Slott really used Johnny's realization that he didn't know Spidey's identity as a great frame for the drama. He reminds us of the old status quo in the opening scene, where Johnny refers to Spidey as Pete, even calling him, "my friend, the science geek." So, when Spidey later comments that they aren't fifteen any more, we're reminded just how distant they've become. I've loved the issues since "One More Day" that have handled the Harry/Peter friendship (particularly the "Mind of Fire" -- also by Slott -- and "Character Assassination" arcs) because they're similarly infused that friendship with some depth. So, it was satisfying to see that attention brought to Peter's friendship with Johnny. Plus, when you add witty banter to emotional depth, I'm a happy camper. The reveal itself was great. Johnny giving us the quote above, the Thing ruffling Peter's hair, Mr. Fantastic giving him a hug, Sue kissing him on the cheek: I choked up a little.
2) I'll have to reserve my judgment a little, but my sense is that the two-month fast-forward that came as a result of this adventure is going to wind up moving along some rather boring plot lines. Usually, the need to fast-forward a plot is the transparent goal of an arc meant to do so. Here, it was really a side event to the central plot revolving around Spidey's relationship with the Fantastic Four. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky Spidey Brain Trust.
The Good
1) JJJ, Jr. the mayor: awesome. I have been repeatedly impressed (see "Character Assassination") -- usually after moments of despair (see "New Ways to Die!") -- by how the Spidey Brain Trust has clearly had a specific idea in mind that they've unfurled slowly over the course of now dozens of issues. Everyone clearly knew JJJ, Jr. was going to be mayor when "Brand New Day" began. To that, I say, well done.
2) You know, in the hands of another writer, the Patronus reveal (and how the purpose of the whole story was essentially to mirror Peter's internal conflict) could've been really cheesy. I generally HATE when writers use meta references to try to acknowledge the fact that their plots are contrived (see Cap and Hawkeye's "you need to hit women to get a date" conversation from "Lionheart of Avalon" in Avengers). But, here, I don't know, it kind of worked. I enjoyed Peter struggling to explain how Patronus' situation was different than his, and Johnny just sort of going, "Uh-huh, sure it was." I don't know how he did it, but Slott did it.
3) Harry looks HOT. Barry Kitson should draw him all the time.
The Unsure
1) After the events of "Mind on Fire" and "Character Assassination" addressed the "what happened to Harry?" questions, I thought the only real "One More Day"-related question we had left is "what happened to Peter and MJ?" But, this arc introduces the question: "what exactly does Peter know?" The Spider Brain Trust has dropped some hints that Peter might know more than we thought. In issue #569, Peter makes reference to the fact that Norman Osborn no longer remembers his secret identity thanks to "everything we did." At the time, I raised an eyebrow, because it seemed to imply that Spidey remembered the deal with Mephisto, which I didn't think he was supposed to have remembered. In the letter pages in issue #587, the editor mentions that Spidey remembers exactly how his secret identity was re-made secret. But, in the 45 issues since the deal with Mephisto, those two hints are the only remote indications that Peter might have some memory of the deal with Mephisto. However, here, it is very clear that Spidey knows that everyone in the world's mind was wiped. So, we're dealing, as far as I can tell, with three possibilities:
a) Peter remembers everything. I have to say, I'd be really shocked if this option were the case. In the first "Brand New Day" issues, we were definitely led to believe (or, at least, I thought we were) that Peter thought he and MJ ended their relationship in a normal (read: no devil involved) way. It didn't seem like we were being led to believe that he knew they had made the pact with Mephisto. If he did know, it seems weird that he was so easily able to return to his swinging life. I mean, I know the editors can argue that they just haven't shown us Peter's thoughts about the pact and its repercussions, but I wouldn't buy it at all. Peter has been presented as returning to his happy-go-lucky ways, and I'd be sorely disappointed if we're supposed to believe he was able to do so so easily after making a pact with the devil. (Though, the fact that he emotionally defends the right to his secret identity in order to protect his family and friends, makes me think he remembers Aunt May getting shot. See the next option.)
b) Peter remembers the deal with Mephisto, but only the secret identity part. He doesn't remember his marriage to Mary Jane. I'd buy this option, simply because he could return to a happy-go-lucky way with no real emotional hangover from the deal with the devil, particularly if he did it to save Aunt May (as mentioned above). Plus, when Peter and Mary Jane made the deal, the renewal of his secret identity was a separate deal. So, it's totally plausible Peter remembers the one, but not the other. But, what did he surrender? If he doesn't remember it was his marriage, what does he think it was?
c) Mephisto created a false memory, so Peter knows his identity was re-made secret but doesn't actually know the real story (and doesn't know he and MJ were married). I feel like this explanation is frankly the most believable, though I don't know how it would be revealed without Peter learning the truth.
2) I alternatively had this section under "The Good" and then "The Bad," so I eventually decided to put it in "The Unsure" since clearly I'm not sure. On one hand, I thought the reveal to the FF was extremely well done. It gave us the emotional depth in the Johnny/Peter friendship that I mention above and it also gave us some insight into how much pressure Peter has been feeling to keep his identity secret anew. When he argues with Johnny at one point, he emotionally tells him that Johnny wasn't his "pal" and that Spider-Man wasn't who he really was. It was obviously not true, and it's clear that Peter has been bottling up a lot of stuff. I was glad, therefore, for Peter that he got to tell them. However, given the emphasis on "happy-go-lucky Peter" during "Brand New Day," I had trouble suddenly buying Peter's anguish, just because it's so jarring. It would definitely fit in some of the pre-"Brand New Day" story arcs. But, since "One More Day," we haven't really seen any evidence that Peter feels panicked over the idea of someone learning his identity (at least, no more panicked than we was before the unmasking). Unless Peter does, in fact, remember everything (including, most importantly, Aunt May almost dying) and we're finally seeing evidence of that, I don't see why Peter would be reluctant to unveil himself to the FF given that they knew before. It makes it seem like Peter regretted the FF knowing, which never really seemed to be the case. Again, it makes sense if he remembers everything, but, if he doesn't, why wouldn't he tell them?
The Bad
1) Mr. Fantastic's solution to the Spidey unmasking was a bit of a deus ex machina that I don't fully understand. He can create mechanical devices that replicate demonic spells? Really?
2) The art-by-committee aspect of issue #591 was distracting. I particularly noticed it in the page where Peter reveals himself and the next page, with Johnny Storm going from being slim to buff. For such an important issue, it's weird that we couldn't get one artist focused on it.
3) I don't understand why Crowne refused to run for mayor again. It's a minor point that doesn't really detract from the story, but it's just kind of thrown out there with no real explanation.
4) The actual plot of the issue -- the war that the FF and Spidey inadvertently caused -- is really confusing. So, the Korts promised the damsel (J'Tal) to the Dreggs, but some Kortian guys prevent her from marrying the Dreg. But, in fact, she does marry the guy and give birth to Patronus. So, why exactly could no one know that? I mean, I get why Patronus as an adult wanted to keep it hidden from his people, who wouldn't take his half-Dreg nature well. But, was he immediately put in a mask as a kid? Why wouldn't his father just reveal to the Dreggs, that he had, in fact, married J'Tal? I get that the point of this issue was to get Spidey to unmask to the Fantastic Four, but, really, you've got to at least make sure the MacGuffin works.
Favorite Quote: "Hi, Pete. Long time, no see." -- Johnny Storm to Spidey, upon his unmasking
Summary
Previously, on Spider-Man, an unmasked Spidey and the FF went to the Macroverse for...some reason or another. Johnny and Pete flirted. Upon seeing a damsel in distress, Johnny, Pete, and Ben decided to help. Later, the FF get a distress call from the Macroverse asking for them and Spidey to return, which they do. Once there, they discover that, by saying the damsel, they sparked a war between two tribes. They also discover that time moves 13.5 days more slowly in the Macroverse than on Earth, causing Spidey to miss several important events (e.g., Harry falling off the wagon and Carlie helping him recover, Flash winning a wheelchair race, Norah dating Robbie Robertson's son, and Aunt May dating JJJ, Sr.). But, the FF and Spidey commit to helping resolve the war, which they do. Meanwhile, Johnny see a statue of an unmasked Spider-Man and realizes that he used to know Spidey's identity. Reed develops a way to mimic Mephisto's psychic block, and Peter unmasks. He also discovers, upon returning home, he missed the most important event: JJJ, Jr. has been elected mayor!
The Review
I wanted to give this arc four stars, because Spidey's interaction with the FF is great. But, the confusing plot involving the warring tribes, the bizarre revelation that Pete knows about the mindwipe, and the art inconsistencies in issue #591 bumped it to a three. Regarding the revelation, I'm quite surprised by it. I go into further detail below, but I'm surprised that the Spidery Brain Trust decides to add a "One More Day" plot twist. We had pretty much gotten to the point where the only dangling thread was "what happened to MJ and Peter?" By introducing uncertainty about what Peter remembers, the Spidery Brain Trust has re-invoked "One More Day," despite the fact that the issues in the new status quo that have focused on those sorts of plots have generally been the least enjoyable.
The Really Good
1) The Torch/Spidey interactions are great here not because of witty banter, the usual expression of their long friendship, but because of real issues. It showed a depth to their friendship that I don't know if we've ever seen before (at least to such an extent). Slott really used Johnny's realization that he didn't know Spidey's identity as a great frame for the drama. He reminds us of the old status quo in the opening scene, where Johnny refers to Spidey as Pete, even calling him, "my friend, the science geek." So, when Spidey later comments that they aren't fifteen any more, we're reminded just how distant they've become. I've loved the issues since "One More Day" that have handled the Harry/Peter friendship (particularly the "Mind of Fire" -- also by Slott -- and "Character Assassination" arcs) because they're similarly infused that friendship with some depth. So, it was satisfying to see that attention brought to Peter's friendship with Johnny. Plus, when you add witty banter to emotional depth, I'm a happy camper. The reveal itself was great. Johnny giving us the quote above, the Thing ruffling Peter's hair, Mr. Fantastic giving him a hug, Sue kissing him on the cheek: I choked up a little.
2) I'll have to reserve my judgment a little, but my sense is that the two-month fast-forward that came as a result of this adventure is going to wind up moving along some rather boring plot lines. Usually, the need to fast-forward a plot is the transparent goal of an arc meant to do so. Here, it was really a side event to the central plot revolving around Spidey's relationship with the Fantastic Four. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky Spidey Brain Trust.
The Good
1) JJJ, Jr. the mayor: awesome. I have been repeatedly impressed (see "Character Assassination") -- usually after moments of despair (see "New Ways to Die!") -- by how the Spidey Brain Trust has clearly had a specific idea in mind that they've unfurled slowly over the course of now dozens of issues. Everyone clearly knew JJJ, Jr. was going to be mayor when "Brand New Day" began. To that, I say, well done.
2) You know, in the hands of another writer, the Patronus reveal (and how the purpose of the whole story was essentially to mirror Peter's internal conflict) could've been really cheesy. I generally HATE when writers use meta references to try to acknowledge the fact that their plots are contrived (see Cap and Hawkeye's "you need to hit women to get a date" conversation from "Lionheart of Avalon" in Avengers). But, here, I don't know, it kind of worked. I enjoyed Peter struggling to explain how Patronus' situation was different than his, and Johnny just sort of going, "Uh-huh, sure it was." I don't know how he did it, but Slott did it.
3) Harry looks HOT. Barry Kitson should draw him all the time.
The Unsure
1) After the events of "Mind on Fire" and "Character Assassination" addressed the "what happened to Harry?" questions, I thought the only real "One More Day"-related question we had left is "what happened to Peter and MJ?" But, this arc introduces the question: "what exactly does Peter know?" The Spider Brain Trust has dropped some hints that Peter might know more than we thought. In issue #569, Peter makes reference to the fact that Norman Osborn no longer remembers his secret identity thanks to "everything we did." At the time, I raised an eyebrow, because it seemed to imply that Spidey remembered the deal with Mephisto, which I didn't think he was supposed to have remembered. In the letter pages in issue #587, the editor mentions that Spidey remembers exactly how his secret identity was re-made secret. But, in the 45 issues since the deal with Mephisto, those two hints are the only remote indications that Peter might have some memory of the deal with Mephisto. However, here, it is very clear that Spidey knows that everyone in the world's mind was wiped. So, we're dealing, as far as I can tell, with three possibilities:
a) Peter remembers everything. I have to say, I'd be really shocked if this option were the case. In the first "Brand New Day" issues, we were definitely led to believe (or, at least, I thought we were) that Peter thought he and MJ ended their relationship in a normal (read: no devil involved) way. It didn't seem like we were being led to believe that he knew they had made the pact with Mephisto. If he did know, it seems weird that he was so easily able to return to his swinging life. I mean, I know the editors can argue that they just haven't shown us Peter's thoughts about the pact and its repercussions, but I wouldn't buy it at all. Peter has been presented as returning to his happy-go-lucky ways, and I'd be sorely disappointed if we're supposed to believe he was able to do so so easily after making a pact with the devil. (Though, the fact that he emotionally defends the right to his secret identity in order to protect his family and friends, makes me think he remembers Aunt May getting shot. See the next option.)
b) Peter remembers the deal with Mephisto, but only the secret identity part. He doesn't remember his marriage to Mary Jane. I'd buy this option, simply because he could return to a happy-go-lucky way with no real emotional hangover from the deal with the devil, particularly if he did it to save Aunt May (as mentioned above). Plus, when Peter and Mary Jane made the deal, the renewal of his secret identity was a separate deal. So, it's totally plausible Peter remembers the one, but not the other. But, what did he surrender? If he doesn't remember it was his marriage, what does he think it was?
c) Mephisto created a false memory, so Peter knows his identity was re-made secret but doesn't actually know the real story (and doesn't know he and MJ were married). I feel like this explanation is frankly the most believable, though I don't know how it would be revealed without Peter learning the truth.
2) I alternatively had this section under "The Good" and then "The Bad," so I eventually decided to put it in "The Unsure" since clearly I'm not sure. On one hand, I thought the reveal to the FF was extremely well done. It gave us the emotional depth in the Johnny/Peter friendship that I mention above and it also gave us some insight into how much pressure Peter has been feeling to keep his identity secret anew. When he argues with Johnny at one point, he emotionally tells him that Johnny wasn't his "pal" and that Spider-Man wasn't who he really was. It was obviously not true, and it's clear that Peter has been bottling up a lot of stuff. I was glad, therefore, for Peter that he got to tell them. However, given the emphasis on "happy-go-lucky Peter" during "Brand New Day," I had trouble suddenly buying Peter's anguish, just because it's so jarring. It would definitely fit in some of the pre-"Brand New Day" story arcs. But, since "One More Day," we haven't really seen any evidence that Peter feels panicked over the idea of someone learning his identity (at least, no more panicked than we was before the unmasking). Unless Peter does, in fact, remember everything (including, most importantly, Aunt May almost dying) and we're finally seeing evidence of that, I don't see why Peter would be reluctant to unveil himself to the FF given that they knew before. It makes it seem like Peter regretted the FF knowing, which never really seemed to be the case. Again, it makes sense if he remembers everything, but, if he doesn't, why wouldn't he tell them?
The Bad
1) Mr. Fantastic's solution to the Spidey unmasking was a bit of a deus ex machina that I don't fully understand. He can create mechanical devices that replicate demonic spells? Really?
2) The art-by-committee aspect of issue #591 was distracting. I particularly noticed it in the page where Peter reveals himself and the next page, with Johnny Storm going from being slim to buff. For such an important issue, it's weird that we couldn't get one artist focused on it.
3) I don't understand why Crowne refused to run for mayor again. It's a minor point that doesn't really detract from the story, but it's just kind of thrown out there with no real explanation.
4) The actual plot of the issue -- the war that the FF and Spidey inadvertently caused -- is really confusing. So, the Korts promised the damsel (J'Tal) to the Dreggs, but some Kortian guys prevent her from marrying the Dreg. But, in fact, she does marry the guy and give birth to Patronus. So, why exactly could no one know that? I mean, I get why Patronus as an adult wanted to keep it hidden from his people, who wouldn't take his half-Dreg nature well. But, was he immediately put in a mask as a kid? Why wouldn't his father just reveal to the Dreggs, that he had, in fact, married J'Tal? I get that the point of this issue was to get Spidey to unmask to the Fantastic Four, but, really, you've got to at least make sure the MacGuffin works.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Amazing Spider-Man #589: "Marked"
** (two of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "If only I were more intimidating...I should practice talking like Christian Bale." -- Spidey being meta
Summary
A Russian mobster, trying to rehab his public image, tries to donate items to a F.E.A.S.T. shelter in Coney Island, but Aunt May stops him. Peter, as Spidey, follows him to try to prove his involvement in illegal activity. While photographing him participating in an illicit arms deal, Spidey watches as the Spot attacks the gangster. Spidey defends the gangster, so the Spot doesn't kill him. It's revealed the Spot is after the gangster for ordering a shooting that accidentally wounded the Spot's son. Spidey convinces the Spot not to kill the gangster; the gangster is eventually driven insane waiting for the Spot to attack next.
Review
Normally, I'd more or less roll my eyes at the Spidey Brain Trust bringing back an old character like the Spot. However, the Blank issue was so well done, I was excited to see what Van Lente did with the Spot. The issue didn't rise to the same level as the Blank issue, but it's an acceptable stand-alone issue.
The Good
1) The revelation that the Spot's confession (which we see) is written in, well, spots (which Spidey sees) was actually pretty clever. (But, in a nitpicking moment, how come the Spot can clearly write the name and address of his son in regular print but not his confession?)
2) Killer Shrike at the Bar with No Name! I loved Killer Shrike back in the day!
The Meh
The introduction of a Russian gangster as the primary villain was kind of odd. Between Mr. Negative and the Karnelli families, we've been awash with enough gangsters that the re-introduction of the Spot could've moved along one of those plots. I understand that Van Lente needed a throw-away character who could be driven insane at the end without having an effect on the ongoing plots and sub-plots, but I'm sure you could've had a different conclusion. At any rate, I'm not saying the Russian gangster was a bad plot device; the Brain Trust could've just used something that actually moved along the Mr. Negative plot. (God knows it needs it.)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
New Comics!: "Identity Wars" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38: The premise of this cross-over event -- that Deadpool, the Hulk, and Spidey have been sent into an alternate universe where everything is significant better in their lives -- is pretty cool. Layman does a great job explaining why the trio all just happened to be assembled in the same place for the "electrostatic-accelerated, quantum-powered, pan-dimensional translocator" to whisk them into said universe. He also presents interesting "through a mirror, darkly" versions of characters like Peter Parker and Uncle Ben. When I first read that Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben were alive, I rolled my eyes, figuring we were getting yet another wish-fulfillment story that we see every time Spidey finds himself in an alternate universe (paging "House of M"). But, Layman lands an unexpected blow by giving us a sinister Uncle Ben, and I applaud him for taking that risk and putting a unique spin on a tired trope. The problem though, is that I was distracted from enjoying these moments more fully because I'm not entirely sure I understood the Amazing Spider's actions, at least as Layman presents them. First, we're originally told that the Amazing Spider was weakened from a similar fight to the one that brought the trio to this universe in the first place. But, in the big reveal scene, we're told that Spidey was brought to this universe by the Spider on purpose. If the Spider was using his own equipment to bring Spidey to this universe, why was it necessary to engage in the fight? Couldn't he just have been looking for alternative Spideys who found themselves near translocators? Did he have to repeat this fight every time he brought the many alternative Spideys we see in the Web to this universe? (Moreover, does he really just dump their bodies into a pit? Really? Wouldn't that...smell eventually?) This question weighed down the story for me, because I kept trying to reconcile what seemed to be two different explanations, accident v. plan. (Also, why did the Spider wait until Uncle Ben knocked out Spidey to make his move? Was it meant to be a sign of his reluctance to steal the lifeforce?). I'm still interested in seeing how it play across the next two annuals, but I wish Layman would've focused a little more on the plot dynamics in this establishing issue, because I know I'm going to be distracted by looking for answers in the next two.
Deadpool Annual #1: As usual, it's pretty much impossible to recap a "Deadpool" comic. This issue is fun, though most of its plot-related reveals depend on interesting differences between our universe and this universe (like Wade Wilson being Doctor Doom, and Wilson Fisk being a simple flunky). As usual, it doesn't really advance the plot, so I'm going to skip to the next issue.
Incredible Hulks Annual #1: Layman does a better job here of telling a complicated story than he does in "Amazing Spider-Man Annual" #38. Despite the intricacies, it was pretty easy to follow the plot, with our Bruce Banner having to accept back the Hulk so that the other Bruce Banner could summon (and destroy) his version. The story treads on pretty familiar ground, with Bruce contemplating the nature of having to play host to the Hulk. But, it's effective, and it's a good way to wrap up the event. Unfortunately, I can't say it was as strong as the "Escape from the Negative Zone" event earlier this year. Other than making Uncle Ben a bad guy, Layman doesn't really give us any sort of interesting portrayal of the main characters that goes beyond standard characterizations, and I'm still confused about whether the trio was brought to this universe on purpose or accident. But, it was still pretty fun for an annual cross-over event. (But, Marvel shouldn't kid itself that I'm going to add "Deadpool" or "Incredible Hulks" to my pull list...)
New Comics!: The "New 52" Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #1: OK, to be honest, I had pretty low expectations for this issue. It was pretty clear from the start that it was going to have to be an exposition-heavy outing, given that Simone would need to address why Barbara Gordon was suddenly going to be able to walk. To its credit, DC has at least made clear that the Joker did in fact paralyze Barbara. Both Simone and Syaf highlight the fact in the book, with Simone focusing Barbara's first case on a home invasion and Syaf using images directly from "Batman: The Killing Joke." However, Simone only hints at why Barbara could now suddenly walk, referring simply to a "miracle." I'm hoping Simone doesn't drag out the story too long, because, similar to "One More Day" and "Brand New Day" in "Amazing Spider-Man," the quicker we can get past the crappy turn of events that got us here, the better we'll all be. Except for the use of WAY too many paralyzation metaphors to signify Barbara's return to action ("stretch my legs"), the rest of the issue more or less surpasses my expectations. (How's that for a backhanded compliment?) Simone reasonably presents Barbara's growing pains in re-learning how to be a costumed superhero again while at the same time starting to introduce Barbara's supporting cast of characters (I like the new roommate) and developing a fun voice for Barbara, something that differentiates her from the boys and their serious miens. Some moments don't really ring true for me at times; for example, the detective screaming at Barbara for being a murderer seemed kind of crazy to me. So long as Simone can move us quickly past the paralyzation-focused storylines, this series should be OK.
Batman and Robin #1: If my biggest question going into the reboot was, "What happened that made Barbara Gordon walk again?" my second biggest question was, "Were Dick and Damian ever partners?" The answer, thankfully, is yes. Of all the rebooted issues I've read, this one reads most like one that could've happened in the old continuity. It tells the story we all knew one day was coming, of Bruce taking back the mantle of the Bat and suddenly having to deal with Damian. Tomasi plays out this scene more or less exactly how I thought it would go, focusing on Bruce's need to control his junior partner and Damian's need not to be seen as a junior partner. (One note, though: I hope Tomasi keeps in mind that we've seen a kinder, gentler Damian than the one he portrays here. For example, in "Blackest Night: Batman" #1, Tomasi himself has Damian wryly note that most kids don't "meet and greet" their grandparents as corpses. It's totally legit for Tomasi to harden Damian, if you will, because his kinder, gentler moments came as a result of his relationship with Dick. But, it's important for Tomasi to remember that Damian IS capable of emotions. It's the fact that he's suppressing them to build walls in his relationship with a father who doesn't entirely trust him that's interesting.) Moreover, Tomasi carries over a theme from the previous continuity, focusing on Bruce's attempt to emerge from the darkness, moving past his parents' death and focusing on his current life, full of people he loves and trusts (for the most part). For all these reasons, it's a fairly familiar feeling read. The mystery of Nobody is interesting, particularly since it shows that "Batman, Inc." still exists. I'd also like to know who the glowing figure standing by the side of the pool that Batman drains to cool off the nuclear reactor is. All items Tomasi will address next time, I'm sure.
Batwoman #1: I've never read "Batwoman," so, for me, it's unclear what parts of this story are different as a result of the reboot. I'm pretty sure I would've known if Renee Montoya died, so I'm guessing her appearance on the wall of fallen officers has a story. Moreover, I'm pretty sure her relationship with her dad is different than it was when I first saw him in "Batman, Inc." #4. Otherwise, I'm left just to enjoy the story as it is, and it's a pretty enjoyable one at that. Williams and Blackman create a great Gothic feel to the book, giving us quiet, dark moments like Kate's surprise meeting with Batman on the last page. The central villain herself is creepy; Williams and Blackman do a better job recalling the Bat-books' history of dealing with supernatural themes than Finch did in "Batman: The Dark Knight." The art is, of course, spectacular. Williams breaks the mold with his rejection of traditional panel structure, though it occasionally becomes difficult to follow the action. All in all, I'm happy to keep getting this one.
Batman and Robin #1: If my biggest question going into the reboot was, "What happened that made Barbara Gordon walk again?" my second biggest question was, "Were Dick and Damian ever partners?" The answer, thankfully, is yes. Of all the rebooted issues I've read, this one reads most like one that could've happened in the old continuity. It tells the story we all knew one day was coming, of Bruce taking back the mantle of the Bat and suddenly having to deal with Damian. Tomasi plays out this scene more or less exactly how I thought it would go, focusing on Bruce's need to control his junior partner and Damian's need not to be seen as a junior partner. (One note, though: I hope Tomasi keeps in mind that we've seen a kinder, gentler Damian than the one he portrays here. For example, in "Blackest Night: Batman" #1, Tomasi himself has Damian wryly note that most kids don't "meet and greet" their grandparents as corpses. It's totally legit for Tomasi to harden Damian, if you will, because his kinder, gentler moments came as a result of his relationship with Dick. But, it's important for Tomasi to remember that Damian IS capable of emotions. It's the fact that he's suppressing them to build walls in his relationship with a father who doesn't entirely trust him that's interesting.) Moreover, Tomasi carries over a theme from the previous continuity, focusing on Bruce's attempt to emerge from the darkness, moving past his parents' death and focusing on his current life, full of people he loves and trusts (for the most part). For all these reasons, it's a fairly familiar feeling read. The mystery of Nobody is interesting, particularly since it shows that "Batman, Inc." still exists. I'd also like to know who the glowing figure standing by the side of the pool that Batman drains to cool off the nuclear reactor is. All items Tomasi will address next time, I'm sure.
Batwoman #1: I've never read "Batwoman," so, for me, it's unclear what parts of this story are different as a result of the reboot. I'm pretty sure I would've known if Renee Montoya died, so I'm guessing her appearance on the wall of fallen officers has a story. Moreover, I'm pretty sure her relationship with her dad is different than it was when I first saw him in "Batman, Inc." #4. Otherwise, I'm left just to enjoy the story as it is, and it's a pretty enjoyable one at that. Williams and Blackman create a great Gothic feel to the book, giving us quiet, dark moments like Kate's surprise meeting with Batman on the last page. The central villain herself is creepy; Williams and Blackman do a better job recalling the Bat-books' history of dealing with supernatural themes than Finch did in "Batman: The Dark Knight." The art is, of course, spectacular. Williams breaks the mold with his rejection of traditional panel structure, though it occasionally becomes difficult to follow the action. All in all, I'm happy to keep getting this one.
Superboy #1: At first, I was disappointed to see that DC had decided to rehash Conner's "OMG, I'm a clone!" past. I liked, in his "Adventure Comics" run, how Johns had moved Conner past that, allowing him to focus on his present and not obsess about his past. But, Lobdell really sells it here. As intended, I was confused by the Smallville sequence, particularly with Conner walking past the woman in a burning house calling for help. The revelation that it was a virtual-reality program used by Superboy's creators to determine whether he felt empathy was brilliant. Lobdell did even one better, implying that Lex Luthor still constitutes half of Conner's DNA in the reboot and that his "pathological, megalomaniacal narcissist" predisposition negates Superman's obsession with helping people, leaving Superboy's moral code deeply in question. Moreover, Lobdell is setting up an interesting situation where Superboy is seemingly the pawn of a large organization with questionable objective and he may in fact be a plant on the Teen Titans. All great stuff. The previous "Superboy" series was so terrible that I'm just excited by the chance to read some great stories in this title.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
New Comics!: The X-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
X-Factor #224.1: Approached simply, just taking this story on its merits, the plot twists are a little...convenient. X-Factor is in Madrox's hometown because some kid called them about an old lady who just stares out her window. The old lady, of course, winds up being some sort of monster who was "waiting for something." X-Factor engages the monster, while Madrox and Layla visit his old home, a farm now occupied by a single mom and her precocious son. At some point during the story, the kid asks what Layla's power is, she tells him that she knows stuff, he says that's lame, she says, "You should've hid better." The meaning of that comment becomes clear at the end, after X-Factor has returned to New York, when we see the mom's body lying on the kitchen floor with Layla's words inscribed in blood on the wall. These .1 issues are mainly supposed to introduce the characters to new readers, which David does more ably that some of the other authors have by having Madrox describe his team to the boy and his mom. But, for longtime readers, they're also supposed to sketch out the arc of the comic for the next year or so. Going into the story knowing that makes you realize these twists aren't convenient. The boy is probably, I'm guessing, connected to the monster somehow, though it's unclear whether he, or the person who took him, is the person for whom the monster was waiting. Moreover, whoever took him clearly is connected with Layla (if not Layla herself). As usual, David gives us a lot to ponder with just one issue, somehow continuing to make the mystery of Layla intriguing and not annoying, using this issue to also remind us of the "Guido has no soul" issue. All in all, David delivers the best .1 issue I think I've read, which I think we all expected him to do.
X-Men #17: This issue, for the most part, is fine. Like Scott, I totally forgot about Doom, so I was just as surprised as he was when it's revealed that Doom is behind the aliens' ability to neutralize Cyclops, Emma, and Sue in short order. Gischler does a good job of presenting us the complex political realities of this dimension -- and how the FF and X-Men fit into those realities -- without bogging down the story. However, something still felt...off a bit in this issue. I felt like I was clearly reading a plot, not a story that developed of its own accord. The revelation that the situation created itself when a mysterious millionaire just happened to hire two people who each happened to be an old ally of one of Earth's superhero teams was a bit of a stretch of my willful suspension of disbelief. This arc still has potential, so hopefully this issue just had to present some necessary exposition before we start getting to the good stuff.
X-Men Legacy #255: Carey does a great job here hiding his quasi-reveal, that Havok and Polaris are under the control of the powerful Grad Nan Holt telepath. I was actually annoyed for part of the issue, not quite believing that Havok and Polaris would be so callous about the Grad Nan Holt's execution of its Shi'ar prisoners. But, when Polaris screamed "You'll do nothing, murderer!" at Magneto, it became pretty clear that the telepath who knocked out Marvel Girl was controlling the two X-Men. I still wish that Carey didn't write such joyless stories, but this one is pretty evenly paced and tightly scripted, so I can't complain too much. It'll be interesting to see if the Grad Nan Holt tribunal controls the telepath, as it seems, or if it's actually the reverse that's true.
X-Men #17: This issue, for the most part, is fine. Like Scott, I totally forgot about Doom, so I was just as surprised as he was when it's revealed that Doom is behind the aliens' ability to neutralize Cyclops, Emma, and Sue in short order. Gischler does a good job of presenting us the complex political realities of this dimension -- and how the FF and X-Men fit into those realities -- without bogging down the story. However, something still felt...off a bit in this issue. I felt like I was clearly reading a plot, not a story that developed of its own accord. The revelation that the situation created itself when a mysterious millionaire just happened to hire two people who each happened to be an old ally of one of Earth's superhero teams was a bit of a stretch of my willful suspension of disbelief. This arc still has potential, so hopefully this issue just had to present some necessary exposition before we start getting to the good stuff.
X-Men Legacy #255: Carey does a great job here hiding his quasi-reveal, that Havok and Polaris are under the control of the powerful Grad Nan Holt telepath. I was actually annoyed for part of the issue, not quite believing that Havok and Polaris would be so callous about the Grad Nan Holt's execution of its Shi'ar prisoners. But, when Polaris screamed "You'll do nothing, murderer!" at Magneto, it became pretty clear that the telepath who knocked out Marvel Girl was controlling the two X-Men. I still wish that Carey didn't write such joyless stories, but this one is pretty evenly paced and tightly scripted, so I can't complain too much. It'll be interesting to see if the Grad Nan Holt tribunal controls the telepath, as it seems, or if it's actually the reverse that's true.
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